Speechless
by zacluver73
Summary: The Winter Olympics are back! Follow Troy and Gabriella, American gold medal favorites, as they face not only the intense competition but also their new and intense feelings towards each other. Will they fight it or embrace it? M for sexual ref. and lang.
1. Dreams

**Hello everyone, its seems like forever since I have attempted to write a full length story, and now sees like a good time to start. I've had a couple of ideas, well more than a couple, and am finding it really hard to decide which one I want to actually write. But, after thinking about it for a while, I decided. In the spirit of the recently finished Winter Olympics, I decided to tribute them. But, not the real athletes, the characters of Gabriella and Troy in the place of the athletes and I think it will be really good. I hope to write this in a shorter amount of time than my last story, which was published a lot slower than I initially intended, but we'll see how it goes.**

**I hope you guys enjoy this story because I know that I'm going to have a lot of fun writing it! Please review and tell me what you think.**

_Speechless Chapter One: Dreams_

"The way I see it, there are two kinds of dreams. One is a dream that's always going to be just that... A dream. A vision that you can never really hold in your hand. Then there's a dream that's more than a dream its like... A map. A map that you live by and follow for the rest of your days Knowing that someday your going to stand on top of that Mountain holding everything you thought of Right There In Your Hand!"  
_**-Robert Cooper**_

"When a dream takes hold of you, what can you do? You can run with it, let it run your life, or let it go and think for the rest of your life about what might have been."  
_**-Patch Adams**_

Never in a million years did Gabriella think that she would be standing there today, ready to say her goodbyes to her mother and her father. The people surrounding her were beginning to blur as the tears gathered on her lower lashes, threatening to fall with just a single blink. This was it, the first time she was going to travel without her parents, and it was to a different country. But despite the fear she felt of being on her own, this was a dream come true, one that she had envisioned countless times before. But, it wasn't until right now that all of the emotions that came with the dream were crashing into her like a ton of bricks. She blinked and the wet tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving long glistening paths down her smooth skin behind them before dripping off the end of her chin and soaking into the fabric of her warm-up jacket. The black material was embroidered with the trade mark American fag, and the signature Olympic rings, and along with her last name across her shoulder blades. Sniffing, she brought her neatly painted black fingernails up to her face and cleared it of the offending liquid before letting her now damp fingers fall to her thigh where she wiped her hand on the light destroyed material.

"I'm going to miss you so much Mama." Gabriella spoke in a soft raspy voice, attempting to prevent the rest of the tears from falling down her face. She sniffled again, and took a step forward so that she could embrace her mother in a hug. Soon enough, her father's comforting arms were around both her and her mother as they shared a family embrace. "And you too Daddy." She turned her face so that she could see how proud her father was of her.

"Me too baby," her father responded before giving another tight squeeze and letting go, "I want you to have fun, but don't do anything stupid and make sure you watch your money." Gabriella giggled a little bit and let go of her mother. She turned around and bent down to the floor to pick up her black North Face back pack before swinging it around and putting it on both of her shoulders. They had already checked the rest of her baggage, and now all there was to do was part ways. She took her oversized purse from her fathers hand and hugged him around the neck tightly one more time.

"Goodbye Daddy, I love you so much…" she kissed his cheek and pulled back smiling. He was too, but there was that hint of sadness and worry in the corner of his gaze. She shrugged it off and turned to her mother. Tears were falling down her mother's face too and a tissue was in hand, ready to absorb the released tears. "Bye Mama, I'll call as soon as I get there." she told her and embraced her mother one more time before backing up smiling.

"You packed your skates right Gabriella?" her father asked and she nodded while rolling her eyes. That was the reason that she was going away in the first place, how could she forget the biggest part of her, skating was her love, there's no place she would rather be than on the ice. Accepting her silent answer, her father placed an arm around her mother's shoulders and squeezed a little.

"Be careful of all the boys Mija, I don't want any of them to steal your heart." Maria smiled a little with a hint of truth behind her words. There was going to be people from all over the world there, and if she falls for someone from far away, it would hurt a lot to have to say goodbye. She just laughed and waved timidly before turning around and walking into the maze of security before glancing back one last time to see her father hugging her mother, whom Gabriella assumed had finally broken down in full out tears. She stepped into line and proceeded to make her way through, taking off her shoes and stepping through the metal detector. She gathered her bag at the end, and placed it back on her back as she read the signs and went the indicated way to gate G-17, direct flight to Vancouver, Canada.

Upon arriving at the gate, Gabriella noticed that the seats were full and realized that she would have to stand until the plane was ready to board. She didn't want to just stand there though, so she opted to walk around and find an interesting magazine that she could read while she was on the long plane ride. Passing by many airport shops, she finally found one filled with magazines on every wall and on shelves in the middle too. So, she went inside and scanned the shelves until she found a couple that looked interesting. They included _Seventeen, People, _and _Rolling Stone_. Happy with her choices, she walked up to the register and set the magazines down on the counter before digging through her purse to find her wallet.

"You're a lot prettier in person…" the guy at the stand stated. Gabriella stopped what she was doing and looked up timidly, she didn't know if she had heard him correctly or not. She was met by a pair of deep green eyes and a smirk on the blonde boys face.

"Excuse me?..." she responded, suddenly feeling naked under his gaze. She brought her hand up and tucked a stray piece of hair out of her face, before a blush erupted on her thin cheeks.

He laughed and scanned the magazines. "I'm not some crazy stalker guy or anything, but my sister is a figure skater and you're her hero. Every time that she gets a new magazine with your picture in it, she screams and runs to show me." He smiled a little before hitting a key on the keyboard to make the printer come to life, recording the sale with a receipt.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that must be really annoying." She looked down at her purse again to find her wallet, but still felt his eyes on her. "How much do I owe you?" she looked up with her eyes through her thick lashes and blushed again.

"You don't think you're famous do you? You have no idea how many girls out there are looking up to you? How many guys are wishing they were me right now?" he smirked with a knowing glance and shook his head. "The world needs more people like you, and less like him…" the guy, whose name was Aaron according to his nametag, pointed to a picture on the front of the _People_ magazine. Gabriella's eyes followed his finger and landed on a picture of Troy Bolton, favorite to win the snowboarding gold medal in cross and half pipe. It was unheard of that one boarder competes in both events, but Troy was going to and it was all over the news every time that she turned it on. It was annoying that he was getting all of the press, but was that really his fault? Maybe he just wanted to compete in both because he loved the sport, not because he needed the attention.

"Thanks, I guess… but how can you say that without even knowing him?" she questioned and pulled out a twenty dollar bill hoping that it would cover the cost and handed it to him. Aaron, without hesitation, started pressing buttons on the keyboard like a pro and the drawer opened, and he got the correct change for her purchase.

"I see him and hear about him all the time. See, my sister looks up to you, but she is completely in love with this Troy guy." Gabriella nodded and took her change from his larger hand. "She's gonna be so pissed that I got to meet you and she didn't. Could you maybe sign an autograph for her?" he said and tapped his foot nervously on the ground. Gabriella still couldn't get over the fact that Aaron had made the assumption that Troy was a bad person just because of a picture or something in an article that was probably used out of context, but none the less, she was now intrigued to know everything there was to know about Troy Bolton, starting with the article in _People_ magazine.

"I'd love to if you want me to…" she smiled and hooked the bag with the magazines around her wrist before shoving her wallet back into her purse. He smiled and got a magazine that he knew had her picture in it, and set it down on the counter. He flipped through the pages and stopped when he got to an article about her. He handed her a sharpie marker and smiled. "What's her name?"

"Rachel, she is going to love me so much!" he exclaimed and it was a good thing that they were the only two in the store. Gabriella giggled a little and looked down at the picture before writing,

_Rachel,_

_Keep skating and don't let anyone bring you down… especially your older brother :). You can do it, I believe in you, and maybe one day you'll be living your dream just like I'm living mine right now. _

_Lots of Love, Gabriella _

She looked over the short message and smiled to herself. "Just so you know Aaron, this was my first ever autograph." He smiled and closed the magazine before scanning it and ringing it up for himself. He pulled a wallet out of his back pocket and paid for it before placing it under the counter, where Gabriella assumed the rest of his things were.

"She's never going to believe me that it is the real Gabriella Montez that signed the magazine." He sighed and smiled at the same time.

"We could take a picture and send it to her, and then she has to believe you." He smiled and stood up again from off the stool and came over to her side of the counter and looked at her. Gabriella slipped off the backpack that she was still holding and then set her purse down next to it, before straightening out her shirt and looking back up at him.

"Brilliant idea." He pulled out his phone and turned on the camera before taking a step closer to her and placing his hand on her waist behind her back. "Ready?" he asked and looked at her for confirmation.

"Yeah." She turned her torso towards him and looked at the camera with a small sexy smile, her voluminous curls cascading over her shoulder. He held the phone up and snapped the picture. He pulled it back and looked at the picture, before turning it towards her and showing her the finished product. She smiled and looked up at him. "I want that, it's so cute." She said and smiled brightly while pulling out her phone and opening it.

"So it's good?" he asked and looked at her. "You're not gonna make me take twenty like the girls at school do?"

"Why would they make you take more than one?" she smiled and took his phone out of his hand and quickly typed in her number and sent the picture to herself before handing it back. Gabriella waited anxiously for the picture to come through, it was her first fan encounter ever and she wanted to remember it, even if it did put her at risk because she had given her number to a complete stranger.

"Their hair was messed up, or they didn't have enough lip gloss on… I don't know for sure, but some girls are so stuck up and all they care about is image." He smiled down at her as the message appeared on her phone and her face lit up. "I wish I knew a girl like you."

"Thanks I think." She blushed deeply once again and tucked her hair behind her ear. He was good looking, and seemed to have a brain for himself rather than just being a mindless football player. And...Gabriella was pretty sure that Aaron was hitting on her. As if knowing that Gabriella was starting to feel uncomfortable, an announcement was made that her flight was now boarding. "Crap! That's my flight. I'm sorry but I have to go… tell your sister that I said good luck." Gabriella crouched down and placed the magazines she bought in her backpack before slinging it over her shoulder and picking up her purse.

"Bye Gabriella." He said and crossed his arms over his chest. Gabriella smiled and waved a little before walking out of the store and heading for her gate, making it in time and getting into the line to get onto the plane. She took a deep breath and stepped onto the aircraft, the very one that was going to take her away from everything that she knew, her life and her home._

* * *

_Gabriella sat down in her seat, amazed by the roomy-ness of the first class seating section. Every other time that she had been on an airplane, she and her family had been in the coach seating, and usually she would end up sitting by a big old guy that scared her. But, as the plane boarded, it soon came to her attention that no one was sitting next to her despite how full the rest of the plane seemed to be. She waited and watched the door as the captain walked on, and talked to the crew before shutting the door behind him. Gabriella smiled and set her purse down on the seat next to her, as she pulled out her i-Pod touch and placed the ear buds in her ears. She followed by turning off her cell phone, and then leaning back into the comforts of the larger chair. She opened the first magazine and turned to the article about Troy, absorbing all she could from the thin pages in front of her.

Not sure how much time had passed; Gabriella opened her tired eyes to an annoying feeling that someone was watching her, completely ready to strangle the being that dared to bring her from her peaceful slumber. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she came face to face with the blindingly white smile of a platinum blonde. She looked to be about Gabriella's age, maybe a year or two older but was shocked by her presentation. She was clad in an entirely pink sweat suite with rhinestones spelling out her name on her left breast. "Can I help you?" Gabriella spoke, the sleep still evident in her words. She sat up and pulled her purse that was still in the seat next to her onto her lap so that the girl could sit.

"Hi, I'm Sharpay!" she exclaimed and held out her hand to shake with Gabriella's. Gabriella winced at her upbeat tone, and shook her head at the insanely large smile that was plastered onto the blonde's face.

"Gabriella." She responded and took the blonde's hand in her own.

"Aren't you like totally excited, I can hardly sit still!" the blonde gushed and made herself comfortable in the seat next to Gabriella's. Gabriella looked at her faint reflection in the window of the plane and pulled a stay curl back into place before turning back to the hyper blonde with a confused expression.

"For what? Do I know you?" Gabriella asked with a little bit of hesitance in her tone. Sharpay, still smiling like nothing could bring her down, turned to face Gabriella and changed her smile to a smirk.

"For the Olympics silly, I'm Sharpay Evans, a downhill skier for team USA." Gabriella cinched her eyebrows together before it dawned on her that she had seen this girl, Sharpay, in a couple of magazines. She was usually in her skiing uniform so it stunned Gabriella that so much pink could fit on one little body. "…and the possibility of meeting the one and only Troy Bolton… Ughh!" She gushed and raised her knees to rest on the chair in front of her. "That boy is one sexy piece of ass." Sharpay smiled again, looking at the magazine that was currently sitting in Gabriella's lap. "I don't know what I would do if I actually got to meet him, but he's probably an arrogant bastard because he knows he is all that." It was as if the blonde didn't even need Gabriella to be there. Gabriella could still be listening to her i-Pod and Sharpay would keep talking like nothing was wrong. Gabriella giggled a little at this, but it bugged her that once again people were judging this Bolton character without even getting to know him.

"I guess you're right." Gabriella agreed timidly, but once again it was as if the blonde didn't even notice.

"So, you're Gabriella Montez right? I can't believe that you're so young. I mean you're only like nineteen right? God, I don't know what I would do if I was still in my teens." Gabriella was a little freaked out about the fact that Sharpay knew so much about her, but she let it roll over her shoulders and continued to try and get a word in the conversation.

"Yeah, I feel like such a baby. How old are you?" Gabriella asked quietly, the awkwardness slowly slipping away as the blonde continued her friendly conversations. Gabriella knew that she was going to be friends with the blonde, even if she would talk her ears off by the end of her stay in Vancouver.

"Me? I'm 22, and loving life. To tell you the truth, I hated skiing when I was little, but my dad made me and eventually I fell in love, and now I can't see myself without my skies." Gabriella just smiled to herself, and leaned back in the chair. This was going to be an interesting rest of the plane ride, but she figured that she should at least make one friend so that she wasn't cooped up in her room all day with a book.

Stepping off of the plane and into the terminal was overwhelming to Gabriella. She walked slowly into the area filled with people from all over the world, so many accents and conversations were going on at the same time in so many different languages that Gabriella didn't know where to begin. The bright colors of all the competing country's flags were blinding, her eyes didn't know where to look next. Suddenly feeling a pull on her arm, she whipped her head to the side to find the flamboyant blonde dragging her towards the conveyor belts where their luggage would be coming out on. She glanced up at the signs that were written in French, and she was glad that in high school she had chosen French over Spanish, a language that she already spoke and would be able to pass with flying colors. "How do you know where you're going?" Gabriella asked as she ran a little to catch up with her.

"I don't, I'm just going with the flow baby, and the flow is pulling me after that really hott guy just a few people up." She smiled again at Gabriella who was laughing at the fact that Sharpay says what she means, and doesn't hold anything back.

"What about Troy Bolton?" Gabriella joked and Sharpay just looked at her smirking.

"So much to learn young grasshopper, but you are so lucky that you have Sharpay to help you through it." She clapped her hands in front of her and grasped Gabriella's hand again, pulling them even closer to the guy in front of them. "I'm so excited to have my very own virgin!" Sharpay announced and Gabriella blushed deeply.

"Sharpay, I'm not a… you know…" She looked away and brought her plump lower lip between her teeth. Sharpay stopped suddenly and looked at Gabriella square in the face.

"Are you for real? I thought you were supposed to be like America's sweetheart or some shit like that…" Gabriella, unable to control it, burst out in a deep crimson blush again. Sharpay, who she had only met a few hours before, already knew more about her than her closest friends at school did which didn't give Gabriella a good feeling.

"Yeah, no one knows though, not even my mom… Please don't tell anyone Sharpay, I probably shouldn't have told you that." Sharpay just laughed at her and continued walking away, but this time at a much slower pace seeing as they lost the guy that intrigued Sharpay before. Gabriella caught up to her and fell into step beside her.

"Wow… I can't believe it, America's little sweetie fucks around. What is the world coming to?"

"I don't _fuck_ around Sharpay, I'm technically not a virgin, but I've only had sex once." Gabriella confessed and hugged her purse to her chest. She couldn't understand what it was that made her feel like she could trust in Sharpay, even after she had spent time with her, witnessing first hand what damage her mouth could do. "But promise, and I mean it, do not tell anyone."

"You're a feisty little one Gabriella Montez, and that's why guys are going to fall at your feet and worship the ground that you walk on. And, it doesn't hurt that you have a gorgeous body, small but not stick-like, and perfect proportion. I'm going to need to take you shopping girl, we need to see you in some heels." Gabriella sighed; this was going to be a really long trip, but she kept up with Sharpay, maybe being her friend would have some perks. They continued walking in the right direction, and eventually made it to where their bags were going to come out, getting to know each other a little better while sitting and waiting for their belongings.

After gathering all of her belongings, Gabriella made her way, with Sharpay, to where all of the cars were located to transport people to and from certain hotels. Sharpay stuck up her arm, and a mad rush of cars came, but she chose the one with the cutest driver and walked that way. It wasn't a long cab ride, but long enough that after seeing the hotel, the only thing on Gabriella's mind was sleep. Her eye lids were becoming heavier, her limbs slowly becoming weaker, and her focus turned to getting into her room as quickly as possible so that she could collapse on the bed and let sleep overcome her tired body.

While walking in the lobby, the cold around her fading as the heat of the building surrounded her, she heard a buzzing in her purse. Looking down, she began to rummage through all of the papers that she needed and other things in order to find her phone. She figured that it was her mother, seeing as Gabriella was too caught up in everything going on at the airport to remember to call when she landed. She found it, and pulled it out, looking down to confirm that it was her mother's number, which it was. Choosing to ignore the call and let it go to voice mail and figuring that she would deal with it later, she tucked it in the back pocket of her jeans. After, she grabbed a hold of the handles to her suitcases and began to make her way to the front desk. Looking down for a split second, clearly not aware of what was in front of her, she ran into what felt like a solid brick wall.

"I'm so sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going." Gabriella spoke in a rushed voice, now sitting on her butt, completely embarrassed at what just happened. This was not the way that she wanted her first day of the Olympics to go. She had just made a fool out of herself and her bags were scattered all over the floor.

Just as she placed her hair back behind her ear, a figure squatted down in front of her, becoming eye level with her. She looked up and her breathe got caught in her throat and as she realized who it was. She could almost feel the heat radiating off of his body and was blinded by the whiteness of his teeth, peeking through his smirking lips. "Don't you think I should be apologizing, I mean you're the one that's currently sitting on the ground." He chucked a little and held out his hand to help her up. She couldn't take her eyes off the way that his own eyes were smiling more than his lips were. Blushing deeply due to the fact that his hand was extended a good five seconds before she acknowledged it, Gabriella took his larger hand and let him help her up to a standing position. "And for the record Gabriella, I wasn't paying attention either." He chuckled and bent over, picking up her purse and setting her bags so that she could grab the handles easier.

She glanced down at her feet, finding it easier to look there than at his penetrating eyes that felt as if they could read all the way down to her soul. It was then that she took a sharp intake of breathe and realized that he had called her Gabriella when she hadn't told him her name. He knew who she was?

"How did you know my name?" she asked and met his gaze once again, fiddling with a stray string that was coming off of the end of her shirt.

"How could I not know your name, you are America's Angel if I'm not mistaken." He said and shifted a step closer to her, the power of his cologne hitting her nose for the first time, almost causing her to take a step backwards.

"Actually, that's the President's daughter." Gabriella smiled cheekily and took her purse from his hand, allowing him to cross his built arms over his chest. "I'm America's sweetheart, but that's just if you want to get technical." She grinned as a sly smirk came over his features. She was surprised at how easily the conversation was flowing between them, especially with her track record with guys. She was always to trusting and forgiving and it came back to bite her every single time.

"Oh, my bad…" he said smirking at her. "Anyways, I'm…"

"Troy Bolton, America's_ Best Body_." He raised an eyes brow at her and she smirked slyly.

**So, hello again everyone! I can't wait to dive into this story! Like every night before I go to bed I sit down and get lost writing :) for hours most of the time. I write down ideas, and I have ideas for most of the story now, but I still want all of your input, and I can maybe squeeze in an idea or two from you guys, because you're the reason that I write.**

**I want to try and get these chapters out on a regular basis, but it might be a little hard, I have a lot of things going on, and I'm probably not going to get back into full swing until finals and everything are over for school, and I am going to be gone for about 3 weeks in a row this summer, so I'll keep all of you updated. The next one might not be out for a couple of weeks because finals are coming up, and I need to focus on that right now, but I wanted to give all of you a preview of this story :).**

**Please review!**


	2. Fame

**Yeah! Chapter two! I hope you guys enjoy! I won't hold you back for long, but thanks so much to all the reviewers and readers! It means a lot that all of you care enough to let me know what you think! I can't wait to hear your opinion on the rest of the story. And check out the banner I made, there is a link to it on my profile page! **

_Speechless Chapter Two: Fame_

"If you came to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are."

_**-Oprah**_

"It s strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely."

_**- Albert Einstein**_

What is the purpose of a human life? What is the purpose of getting up everyday and going to work if you don't love what you're doing? Why does money have to be the driving force behind everything that goes on in the world, why is there blood shed for a single piece of paper that will be worthless in a couple years? Troy didn't understand how something so meaningless could be the driving force in the world that he lived in. And as he walked through the airport with his hood up, his aviators perched on his nose, and his i-Pod in his ears, it amazed him how many people rushed passed him, not paying attention to anything but their destination, or in other words, their future. No one was living today for now, no one was taking in the beauty that this day brought, and no one saw anything more of him than what he presented on the outside.

He was on his own. His mother hadn't come because she was too busy at work, and his father could care less about him, still believing that Troy had made the wrong decision and should have followed in his own footsteps and play basketball professionally for the rest of his life. But Troy was sick of his father trying to control his every move, so ever since Troy announced he was going to go the snowboarding route, Jack had refused to associate with his son. But seeing as Troy was now twenty-two years old, he didn't need his _mommy_ there to see him off, and sure as hell didn't need his father's advice. He was following his own path, taking the road less traveled, and making a name for himself, by himself, with no one's help.

Finding a chair still vacant in the corner of the waiting area, he stepped towards it and took the seat, setting his backpack between his feet on the ground. He watched from unseen eyes as people passed, having no direction in where they were going, falling into step with the flow of other people.

Even over the noise of his i-Pod, Troy was able to hear the conversations that were going on around him. It amazed him how all of them talked without meaning behind their words, and how they appeared to listen but couldn't hear. They seemed to avidly avoid topics that would make the other uncomfortable, and stay away from ones that cause arguments. They talked about the weather, their favorite sports teams, or a new reality show, but avoided deeper conversation. Disgusted, Troy turned up the volume of his music and leaned his head back against the wall, trying to forget everything that was happening. He was only disturbed when his pocket bean to vibrate, signaling that his phone was ringing. He sat up, pulling the sleek black phone from his pocket and glancing at the name before answering the call.

"Hey Mikey, what's up?" Troy asked and turned his music back down so that he could hear the person on the other line. Mikey was one of Troy's best friends since they were little, and since his dreams of making it big were killed when he took at nasty fall a few years back, he decided to become Troy's manager, saying that if he couldn't live out his own dreams, he might as well live them through Troy.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were getting on the plane man, I know things are rough right now with your dad but this is for you, you need to get away for awhile, have some Troy time." Mikey was always there for Troy, being like a big brother to him, and it continued even now that they were older.

"I'm not gonna give up on my dream Mike, you can't get rid of me that easily." Troy laughed a little and watched as people started to stand up to board the plane. Troy opened his back pack and pulled out his boarding pass while continuing the conversation with his friend.

"Good, I'll meet you at the hotel when you get here. I arranged a car for you at the airport. It's a rental of a black Ford F150 truck, just like yours at home. I thought you would be happier driving yourself than having someone chauffeur you around all day, I know how much you hate that." Troy chuckled a little and shrugged his backpack on over his shoulders and began the walk towards the door that led to his plane.

"Alright, thanks Mikey, I'll see you when I get there." Mike said his goodbye also and Troy hung up the phone and turned it to airplane mode before shoving it in his back right pocket.

Boarding the aircraft, he sat in the first class seating next to an older gentleman who Troy assumed would be working on his laptop during the length of the flight. If one thing was for certain, Troy was glad to be out of his home for awhile. He needed this break, and the chilled air of the mountains was going to help clear his thoughts, it always did. As assumed, the man beside Troy instantly checked his email, not even aware that he was slowly being sucked into societies gravitating pull. With work always plaguing this man, he would never have time to live or to love; all that would ever define him would be his career. Troy shook his head and leaned back in his seat looking out the window, drifting in and out of sleep on what seemed to be the longest flight of his life.

Arriving in Vancouver was a relief to Troy. He was far from the restricting behavior of his father, and there was no one here that could tell him how much of a failure he was going to be. It was as if a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Trying to avoid being recognized, Troy pulled his hood up and placed his aviators on his nose before walking at a slow pace to the baggage claim section. He quickly recognized his black suitcase and then his snowboard bag came within the few minutes following. Grabbing all of his belongings, he made his way to the rent a car section of the airport and went up to the desk.

"Welcome to Budget rent-a-car, how can I be of service to you?" the woman, probably around twenty seven years old asked without looking up from her computer screen. Troy shook his head and pulled the sunglasses from his face and hooked them in the V of his shirt.

"I'm picking up a car, well a truck actually." He said and leaned onto the counter. Watching as the lady didn't even take notice to him, not once looking up from the computer screen.

"Name please." She asked and typed something on the keyboard.

"Troy Bolton." He said and all of a sudden she stopped typing whatever it was that she was typing and her head snapped up to see if it really was the one and only Troy Bolton. Her jaw dropped and a smile broke out on her very overdone face, covered from chin to forehead with too much makeup.

"Oh. My. God." She said and started to breathe a little heavier. "It's really you." She fanned her face and Troy smiled a little bit, but swearing on the inside, she was going to make a scene, which was the last thing that Troy wanted. "Meg! Erin! Come here!" Troy's face dropped a little, and he sighed. Two more girls that were heavily over made up emerged from a door behind the counter and gasped at what they saw. "Troy Bolton is here!" she squealed and clapped her hands. One of the women had her shirt undone so much that Troy, though he didn't want to or like the view, could see that she was wearing a red bra. He turned his face away and tried not to focus on the overly tight shirt that she was wearing, he could never see himself with anyone that would willingly show their body like that for everyone to see.

Troy, like any other male on the planet, loved flirting with women, and loved their bodies which he considered to be one of the most beautiful gifts that God had created, but he would never take advantage of a woman. That was just sick and wrong; it was something that hit him in the gut every single time a rape story showed up on the news. A woman's body should be cherished, and touched delicately unless told not to. But one thing he could not stand was woman throwing themselves at him, they were belittling themselves and it pushed him away instantly.

And these women were doing exactly what made Troy sick. They were only putting out an invitation for sex, not allowing anyone to see beyond their physical appearance. Taking a deep breathe, he plastered a fake smile onto his lips and looked back at the girls, trying not to gag at the way they were all throwing themselves at him.

The other girls jumped a little and clapped their hands, reaching to their purses and pulling out their phones. "Can we get a picture with you?" one said and instantly began to walk around the counter and stand next to him. He reluctantly nodded and placed his hand on her waist behind her and looked at the camera that the original girl was holding. Each girl squealed and then another came over to take about ten more pictures each, but it wasn't the end. They pulled out everything that they owned and made him sign anything from a lunch bag to one of their arms. After about forty five minutes, they finally got all of his paperwork done and got him the keys to the truck. With a pained expression, he smiled one more time and left the counter, now in a worse mood than he was when he left his home.

But that anger didn't last long because as soon as he walked out to the parking lot Troy discovered that it was snowing. It wasn't just any snow, it was the kind of snow that falls in huge flakes and sticks to everything. He smiled and breathed in the brisk air, letting the coldness fill his lungs and sweep away the anger filling his mind. He once again pulled up his hood and grabbed his bags so that he could make his way to the truck and make his way to the hotel for some much needed rest.

* * *

"Troy! My man!" A smile broke out onto his face as he heard the familiar voice of his friend and manager. It had been a long time since they had last seen each other and that they actually hung out. Walking further into the beautifully decorated lobby of the hotel, Troy found where the voice was coming from and walked towards Mikey. Troy shoved the car keys in his pocket and rested his board bag on the floor when they met.

"Hey Mike, what do I have to do?" he asked and looked around the lobby again, spotting so many people from different countries, all supporting their nation by wearing the colors. He spotted the front desk and then glanced back at Mikey.

"Well, all that's left for you to do is to check in. I have to run to some meetings about training times and practice runs, but you're basically free for the next couple nights. You can get settled in and relax a bit. Meet some new people…" He was looking down at his phone and then back up at Troy. "I really have to get going, but everything is paid for, all you need now is the key for the room and you're set. I'll text you the times. Have a good night Troy." He said and smiled.

"You too Mikey. Thanks for everything, good night." He smiled too and they did their hand shake before Mikey answered a call and walked towards the entrance to the lavish hotel. Troy picked up his stuff again and made his way to the front desk to check in, taking a deep breathe.

Surprisingly, the woman at this desk were able to control themselves and treated Troy like just another person, maybe it had to do with the fact that they were all rooting for their home countrymen and not him. Either way, Troy was happy and relieved as he made his way to the room assigned to him, number 414.

Stepping into the dark room, he flicked on the light and smiled at the sight in front of him. The suite was more than one room, which made Troy happy; he had always wanted a suite like that. There was a dark blue couch and a flat screen TV on one side of the room, and a kitchen area on the other, there was a door on the left hand side which led to the bedroom. He walked that way and smiled again. There was a king size bed and with a huge headboard behind it. The comforter was white and soft, the top covered with many pillows and a throw blanket. There were small end tables on either side of the bed, and a TV in the corner on a stand with a DVD player and a cable box. There was a beige couch with pillows on it, and an attached bathroom with a claw foot tub and a shower. He smiled and realized he was going to have a great time here.

But even though he was amazed and excited about his room, his stomach wouldn't let him forget the fact that he hadn't eaten anything since around seven o'clock that morning for breakfast. Grabbing his phone and his wallet out of his back pack, Troy took his key and walked out of the room, making sure that the door locked behind his before heading to the elevators to go to the lobby. In about five minutes the doors opened and he entered hitting the "L" for lobby and leaning back against the wall while the elevator dinged at every floor. Eventually he exited when it reached the lobby and was distracted when he stepped out, there was a show going on to his right. It was a comedian from what Troy could tell, and he had attracted a crowd. Troy watched for a few seconds before walking to the front door, but not without looking back at the show hoping to catch a good laugh.

But things were interrupted when he felt himself run into something or someone. He whipped his head around and saw someone on the ground, Shit… he though instantly. What if he had hurt them, or her rather? He saw a mass of curly brown hair that was long and looked really good actually. "I'm so sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going." She said in a soft and rushed voice. Her hand went up to her face and tucked the hair behind her ear and Troy squatted down in front of her.

Her gaze lifted from the current position of looking at the floor and met his eyes. The deep brown pools shocked him, capturing his attention. There was so much warmth and trust in them that he couldn't look away. But when he looked at the rest of her shocked and blushing face, he immediately realized who she was, the one and only Gabriella Montez. She was considered to be one of the greatest figure skaters and she wasn't even twenty yet. He smirked a little at the fact that she was so embarrassed and insecure around him when she was in fact really beautiful and she probably didn't even realize it. But this only caused her to blush again and look away.

So deciding not to let her suffer any more, he spoke. "Don't you think I should be apologizing, I mean you're the one that is currently sitting on the ground." He chuckled a little bit and smiled, holding out a hand to help her up. After a few seconds she smiled a tiny bit and slipped her smaller hand into his and let him help her to her feet. He held her hand for a few extra seconds before letting go and taking a step towards her. "And for the record Gabriella, I wasn't paying attention either." He smiled a little bit and bent over to retrieve her purse and to pick up her other bag for her. When he stood back up a clear expression of shock was written on her delicate features.

"How did you know my name?" She spoke in a surprised voice and looked back into his eyes, causing him to smirk at her. He laughed a little and stepped closer to her once again, now only about a foot between them. He knew that he was making her nervous, but he liked it. He could tell by the way her fingers were playing with a stray string that came off at the end of her shirt.

"How could I not know you're name, you are America's Angel if I'm not mistaken." He held out his hand that was holding her purse and smirked a little. Her eyes brightened at this and a sly smirk played on her lips for the first time since their initial meeting.

"Actually, that's the president's daughter." She reached forward and grabbed her purse gently and slid it to hang from the bend in her arm. Troy crossed his now free arms across his hoodie clad chest and lifted an eyebrow at the new information presented. "I'm America's sweetheart, but that's just if you want to get technical." She full out grinned at her remark and waited for his response.

"Touché Gabriella." He said coolly and glanced at her full lips as she brought her lower one a little between her teeth. "Anyways, I'm…" he was going to formally introduce himself because they hadn't done that yet, but before his name could leave his mouth, she interrupted him.

"Troy Bolton… America's _Best Body"_ he raised an eyebrow once again as the words slipped out of her lips. He had heard everything from America's heart breaker, to sex symbol and poster boy, but this was the first time that he was called America's best body. He smiled and looked at her questioningly.

"Really? Is that so?" Troy asked in huskier voice than before causing a huge and true smile to appear on her lips, causing Troy to feel a little skip in his heart beat. "Where did you hear that?" The smile reached all the way up to her eyes and instantly lit them up with emotion. It was at this moment that Troy realized that maybe this trip wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially if he got to know the one and only Gabriella Montez.

**I know that it was a little slow at times and it was shorter than my normal chapters, but It needed to be in there to show how Troy's character was going to act and think. So, now that the main two characters are developed, time to move on to the twists and turns of the main plot! I'm excited! I will be leaving in less than a week so I'm not sure if I'll get another one out before then, but let's hope! **

**Thanks again to every single one of you that reviewed the first chapter! **_Annie-Lovely- _**I'm not sure how many chapters there are going to be but probably around 20 would be my guess at this point. Thanks for the review! And to everyone that is curious to where I am going to take this… so am I! lol I have ideas but they change constantly so let's take the journey together!**

**Remember these words of wisdom that I once read…**

**Days to write, but only seconds to review! **


	3. Strangers

**Thanks again for all the amazing reviews! I love reading long ones that have a lot to say! It makes me happy that those people care enough to really put their thoughts into them! I love you guys! Enjoy!...**

_Speechless Chapter 3: Strangers_

"Strangers are friends you have yet to meet"

**- Unknown**

"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken."

**- Fydor Dostoevsky**

"_Touché Gabriella." He said coolly and glanced at her full lips as she brought her lower one a little between her teeth. "Anyways, I'm…" he was going to formally introduce himself because they hadn't done that yet, but before his name could leave his mouth, she interrupted him. _

"_Troy Bolton… America's Best Body" he raised an eyebrow once again as the words slipped out of her lips. He had heard everything from America's heart breaker, to sex symbol and poster boy, but this was the first time that he was called America's best body. He smiled and looked at her questioningly. _

"_Really? Is that so?" Troy asked in huskier voice than before causing a huge and true smile to appear on her lips, making Troy feel a little skip in his heart beat. "Where did you hear that?" The smile reached all the way up to her eyes and instantly lit them up with emotion. It was at this moment that Troy realized that maybe this trip wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially if he got to know the one and only Gabriella Montez._

Giggling a little bit, Gabriella reached into her bag and pulled out the magazine that she had read on the plane ride. Troy watched with amused eyes and glanced down at her hands whenever she pulled out the magazine. She looked down at the picture which was of him shirtless for one thing. He had on jeans that were riding low on his hips, revealing the black Kelvin Klein boxer briefs and the trail of golden hair down the center of his abs, disappearing under the black material. He had a black beanie on and his hair was sticking out at the bottom. A look of seriousness crossed his hard face, his jaw clenched, and his azure eyes were life like on the paper, almost jumping off the page. And his arms were up and flexed, holding the snowboard in place that was resting across his shoulders. The only thing on his chest was a thin gold chain, and as Gabriella looked up at Troy, she saw that he was wearing the same delicate chain, and she wondered if it had a story behind it.

Shaking out of the daze that the picture put her into, she handed the magazine over to Troy's awaiting hand and watched for his reaction as he read the caption on the right hand side of page; _Turn to pg. 47 for the Secrets of America's Best Body._ Looking up to meet her gaze, he smirked a little bit before turning the magazine to page forty seven to see what the article said about him. She watched through her thick lashes as he quickly scanned the three page article and absorbed the information.

After a couple of minutes, Troy shut the magazine and handed it back to her, meeting her stare once again with an amused smile playing on his lips. "I can now officially say that over half of that article is one hundred percent completely made up bullshit." Unable to control herself by the seriousness that he had said that, she let a few angelic giggles slip through her soft lips; this itself caused Troy to break out into a smile.

"It is? Well that's a relief, its good to know that you don't sleep in the nude." She smiled even brighter and slipped the magazine back into her bag. But he didn't join in her laughing, causing her to look back up at his serious face, her amused smile now one of horror.

"You think it's not true that I sleep naked?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Then it hit Gabriella that she had picked something from the article that was actually true. She took a sharp intake of breathe and scanned his face for any sign of what he was thinking. His eyes were burning into her and she felt that he was reading her down to her soul. She got nervous and her heart rate began to pick up.

"Oh…" she said in a quiet voice and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to…" she couldn't think of anything to say to make up for what was already said. But as to not let her suffer anymore, Troy broke out into a smile and laughed a little bit.

"I'm kidding Gabriella, It's only partway true. They misquoted me, typical reporters." He smiled and watched as a look of playful anger crossed her features. He laughed when she reached out and playfully pushed him backwards a tiny little. "Hey!" he laughed and stepped back closer to her.

"Wait… what do you mean when you said it was misquoted? What were you talking about when you said anything about sleeping in the nude?" she asked him and a smirk crossed his lips almost instantly as if he was anticipating this question. Gabriella waited for an answer. He stepped a little bit closer and leaned nearer to her, whispering in her ear.

"I only sleep completely naked when I have a beautiful girl next to me." He stepped back and watched the pink blush spread across her face. She broke the contact that their eyes had and turned away from his penetrating gaze. Troy smiled and thought about how much fun it was to mess with her. But interrupting his thoughts was a buzzing noise. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, but there was no missed call or a text message. Then he looked back up at Gabriella and she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and looked down at it.

"Who is it?" he asked and stepped a little closer to her. He wanted to know if it was a significant person to her, or in other words a boyfriend that was calling. She blushed again and Troy's stomach dropped, she was already taken.

"My mom." A sudden wave of relief washed over him when it wasn't a guy calling for her. But she was clearly embarrassed that her mom was calling her instead of a friend or someone else.

"It's cool Brie, answer it." He said and shrugged his shoulders." But she shifted her weight from side to side, contemplating to do it or not. Troy just watched her and smiled at how beautiful she was.

"It's fine, I was planning on waiting anyway…" she replied.

"I don't care, you can answer it. It won't offend me that you would rather talk to your mom than me." He said and smiled playfully, and they both knew that he was joking.

"Troy… I was just going to wait until I get to my room."

But Troy was fed up because he knew that her mother was worrying about her daughter seeing as she wasn't answering her phone. So, Troy reached forward and grabbed her phone, pressing the green symbol accepting the call, and brought it up to his ear. "Hello?" He answered and Gabriella stood shocked and frozen, she couldn't believe that he would just take her phone and answer it like that without her permission. He turned his back to her and listened to what her mother was saying on the other line.

"_I'm sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number." _Her mother said and Troy chuckled a little bit. She sounded sweet, he didn't know why she was avoiding her calls.

"Were you trying to reach Gabriella because this is her phone." He replied and she sounded shocked.

"_Why do you have my daughter's phone? Who is this? Why didn't she answer?" _Gina asked all at once causing Troy to laugh a little again. She was protective even though she couldn't do anything; she was thousands of miles away by now.

"She was busy and I thought I would help by answering the call, and my name's Troy." He replied and smirked over his shoulder at Gabriella. Finally breaking out of her trance, she moved forward and reached for her phone, but Troy gently grabbed her wrist and stopped her from grabbing the phone. She continued to struggle, but Troy was just too strong for her, and he continued talking to her as if Gabriella wasn't even there at the moment.

"_Oh, well I don't want you and her in the same room at all without another person there with you two. Do you understand me?_" Troy smiled and looked at a mortified Gabriella in his grasp.

"I wouldn't dream of it Mrs. Montez." He said coolly and laughed a little bit. Gabriella looked as if she was going to slit his throat, but he couldn't stop himself, messing with her was too much fun.

"_Okay, it was nice talking to you Troy, but tell Gabriella to call me as soon as she gets the chance. I need to talk to her immediately."_ She informed him and sounded very serious, but Troy still chuckled a little bit, partly because Gabriella was putting all of her effort into getting to her phone when the damage had already been done.

"Bye Mrs. Montez. I'll tell her." He hung up the phone and smiled at Gabriella as he let her arms go which found their way crossed across her stomach angrily. She pouted a little bit at him, but this only fed his amusement and caused him to smile more. "I'm pretty sure that your mom just assumed that I was going to force you into having sex with me, but I could be wrong." He chuckled a little bit. "But one thing is certain; we are under no circumstances allowed to be in a room by ourselves without another person there." His smile widened while her face blushed yet again.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. She is so embarrassing!" Gabriella turned away and looked down at the floor. She had to avoid his eyes at all costs or she might do something that she would regret.

"She's just protecting her child, she loves you Gabriella, and that means a lot more than you think it does." He smiled down at her and thought of his own mother and father, about how they turned on him and let their own careers and plans get in the way of a healthy relationship with their own son.

Gabriella looked up and something was different about how he was talking now versus before when he was playing with her. He seemed quieter and not as straight forward as before. But, she shook it off, she barely even knew him and it wasn't her right to butt into his personal life. "I know she loves me, but sometimes I just want to strangle her!" Gabriella smiled and as did Troy, once again not the same smile. "What time is it?" she asked quietly.

Troy looked down at Gabriella's phone and read off, "Almost three thirty, why?"

"Shit! I have to go. I was supposed to meet my coach fifteen minutes ago. She's going to murder me!" Gabriella grabbed all of her bags and started to walk away from Troy after saying a quick goodbye.

"Gabriella…" he called after her causing her to turn around and see the original hint of happiness in his ice blue eyes again. She brought his hand up to reveal to Gabriella that she had never taken her phone back. She blushed and walked back over to him, taking the black phone from his hand.

"Thanks Troy. I'll see you around?" she asked and started to back up towards the counter. His lips formed a small smirk and he nodded.

"Definitely." She smiled one more time and turned around to check in and get settled before traveling to the rink to meet with her coach. The women at the front desk were quick and she was in her room before she even knew what was happening. She was putting all of the things in her room, on the side that she assumed was hers because there were 2 beds which means she was sharing a room with someone, when the same familiar buzzing occurred, letting Gabriella know that there was a phone call for her.

"Hello?" she asked and held the phone between her ear and her shoulder while pulling out her bathroom bag to freshen up before going to meet Sam, her coach.

"What. The. Fuck. Gabriella! It was like an invitation for free hot sex and all you could do was stand there and blush? I need to teach you so much young grasshopper!" she heard the now familiar voice of Sharpay ring through her phone as she dropped her bag and pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Sharpay? What are you talking about?" she asked and a calmer and quieter Sharpay continued with the conversation. Gabriella sat down on the bed and let her mind wander to what had happened in the lobby only minutes before.

"Troy Bolton was checking you out and from what I can tell, he is definitely interested…" Gabriella blushed again and let her head drop into her hand.

"Sharpay, you need to slow down. He only stopped and gave a second glance because we bumped into each other and I fell to the ground. He helped me up and we talked for maybe a couple minutes before we parted ways." She explained and lay back on the surprisingly comfortable bed. She heard Sharpay sigh on the other line and she giggled a little to herself.

"Then why was he holding your phone when you walked away? Did he put his number in?" Sharpay was excited again and Gabriella just laughed, why would he give his number to someone like her?

"Not that I know of… but he's not like you think he is. From what I can tell, he is sweet and probably just misunderstood. All of the accusations that were made about him in the magazines and papers are all false for now anyways. But I really don't think that he gave me his number, there would be no reason too." She finished and glanced at the clock.

"Just check, it will take like two seconds." Sighing, Gabriella pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed the button leading her to her contact list. She typed in a T followed by an R and blinked a few times before shooting to a sitting position. Sharpay must have heard her gasp because she was talking into the phone, "Gabriella… GABRIELLA! What's going on?"

* * *

Walking from the warm and comforting lobby into the frigid and relentless wind was not the best feeling in the world. Even though Troy loved to cold and the winter weather, this was a bit of a shock for his system. He shivered a little and pulled the collar of his jacket up a little more. He reached the black Ford that he parked about an hour before, and there was already about an inch of snow on it. He pressed the button unlocking the vehicle and put the key into the ignition, turning the heat up to full blast then stepping back outside with the brush to clean off the snow.

Driving around the outskirts of the city, Troy spotted a small café that he figured would be pretty deserted which meant that no one would likely be there to bother him while he ate. He parked next to a small beat up white car and got out, making his way in the door. Glancing at the red booths and the white tables, he spotted a head of hair that he would recognize almost anywhere. Taking a few strides towards the table, Troy sat down across from the person and smirked.

"Eating as always, Danforth, why am I not surprised?" The African American man looked up and his face grew into a large smile.

"Bolton! What the hell man, why didn't you text me when you got here, I would have waited." Troy just laughed and stole a fry off of Chad's plate before leaning back again.

"I was gonna just eat by myself and maybe hit the sack early tonight, I need all the sleep I can get before Foley gets his hand on us in a couple days." Troy was talking about Team USA's head snowboard coach, Peter Foley. Chad was a fellow American snowboarder and was competing against Troy in the half pipe. The two of them had met two years ago at the beginning of the qualifying competitions for a chance to be on team USA for the 2010 winter Olympics. Even though the only knew each other for a short period of time, it felt like the two of them were brothers. They were always roommates at every camp and training session that they had to attend and always had each other's back.

"Come on man, it's the first night away and have you seen some of the chicks? Man, their bodies amazing!" Chad exclaimed as the waitress came over to the table. Troy greeted her and ordered a cheeseburger and fries before turning his attention back to Chad.

"Yeah Chad, I've seen them." He smiled and thought about the brown eyed goddess that he had run into earlier at the hotel. She was petite and thin, and had the most mesmerizing eyes that he had ever seen.

"I can't wait to party with them, it's going to be epic!" Chad exclaimed and pushed his plate to the center of the table, now finished with his food as Troy's came to the table.

"Wow man, cutting right to the chase." Troy laughed, taking a bit out of his food and taking a drink from his glass of coke.

"Hell yes! There's this club called, well I don't remember the name, but their having like this welcoming party for all the athletes and it's a perfect opportunity to get totally smashed and maybe hook up with a beautiful girl."

"I guess…" Troy never got to finish his thought because Chad snapped his head up and pounded his fist down on the table out of excitement, drawing attention to the two of them.

"Dude, you should totally come with me and be my wingman, everybody knows Troy Bolton!" Troy laughed and shook his head back and forth. Troy wasn't really in the mood to go to a party, but Chad always has his back so this is something that Troy could do for Chad that wouldn't be too difficult. Say hey to some girls, introduce them to Chad and he could be out of there in no time at all.

"Sure Chad, fuck sleep anyway, who needs it." Troy laughed a little and so did Chad. "What time are we leaving?"

"Meet me in the lobby at 9:30, this is going to be epic my friend!" Chad exclaimed and leaned back in his seat to wait for Troy to be finished with his meal. Chad couldn't help but be excited for that night, it was the first big party of many to come during the Olympics and Chad knew that he was going to have an awesome time.

* * *

Later that day, around five o'clock, Gabriella was back in her room with her training schedule in hand and built up energy from sitting all day. She changed into a sports bra and some running shorts before throwing on a white wife beater and pulling her curly tresses up into a pony tail. She was in the process of unpacking her running shoes when a knock came at the door. She left her suitcase and opened the door.

"Sahrpay? What's going on?" she asked as Sharpay walked into her room. She picked up a shirt that Gabriella had in her suitcase before turning around to face Gabriella who was still standing in the doorway.

"Where are you going babes?" she asked and took a seat on the edge of Gabriella's bed, playing with the decorative pillow before turning her attention to the brunette.

"To the gym to run. I've been sitting all day and I need to move around." She said and continued to search for her running shoes so that she could go down and release her energy.

"That's actually a really good idea. That way, your legs and ass will be tight and firm for when we go to this amazing club tonight." She smiled devilishly and glanced up at a shocked Gabriella standing before her.

"What?" she asked a little shocked.

"We're going clubbing tonight."

"I'm not old enough to drink Sharpay" Gabriella fought and stopped trying to put her newly found shoes on because there was a larger matter at hand.

"In Canada you are sweetie. Plus there will be tons of really fine men that will fall all over you and your sexy little body." Gabriella didn't think that she would ever get used to the fact that Sharpay says what she is thinking. It wasn't normal to Gabriella for someone to come up to her and say stuff about her like that, and she always responded with a blush.

"I don't know Sharpay…"

"Come on… I can't go by myself now can I?" Sharpay asked and stuck out her bottom lip. Gabriella knew that she would probably go on her own if Gabriella didn't agree to go but there was something that was telling Gabriella that she should go to the club that night with Sharpay.

"I don't have anything to wear to a club. I didn't bring any dresses or anything." She said and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Sharpay laughed a little and stood up. "After you go run and get showered, I'll take you shopping for a few club outfits because trust me, we'll be going more than once and I want you to be prepared."

Gabriella reluctantly nodded her head and finally pulled on her running shoes and tied them before Sharpay registered that she had agreed to go with her. Sharpay jumped up and gave Gabriella a huge hug that she was not expecting. She was squealing which caused Gabriella to laugh in return. "Yay! Step one in training my little almost virgin!" Gabriella blushed and shook her head at how excited Sharpay was about everything. What had she gotten herself into?

**So, I'm really really REALLY sorry that this took so long… I hade it planned for like over a month ago but then I went on vacation for three weeks and camp for another. And time just got away from me. I really want to get these chapters out faster for all of you that leave amazing reviews and everything, but it's hard. Thank you in advance to everyone who reviews and I hope that I get the next one out a lot sooner! Have an awesome rest of the summer guys! I love you all! **

**Zacluver73 :)**


	4. Chance

**I know I've taken a while before, but my time is going to be pretty stretched the first few weeks of school. Sorry guys but I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

_Speechless Chapter 4: Chance_

"Hope is the most exciting thing in life and if you honestly believe that love is out there, it will come. And even if it doesn't come straight away there is still that chance all through your life that it will."

**- Josh Hartnett**

"I must learn to love the fool in me the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries"

**- Theodore Isaac Rubin**

Gabriella was glad in a way that Sharpay was there to guide her, it was her first time going to a real club and not just her high school gym for dances, and she had no idea what to even wear to the club. She followed Sharpay through the isles as she continued to pile clothes into Gabriella's arm. Most of them, not pleasing Gabriella's taste, were pink or bright pink or some other ridiculous shade of pink. She just kept her mouth shut and did as she was told.

When she finally got into the dressing room, the feeling that she was overwhelmed hit her with full force. There were so many outfits and so little time. Sharpay was going to want to see all of them because she was picking more than one for Gabriella to buy. Sighing, she pulled her top over her head and set it down on the little bench, then undid the button on her jeans and slid them down her legs while kicking off her black flats, and set her jeans with her shirt. She grabbed the first of the dresses that Sharpay had picked out and pulled it over her head, and adjusted it so that it fit her correctly. It was an all pink dress that fit like a corset at the top and then puffed out at the bottom, and stopped just past her butt. She frowned a little and took a deep breathe before opening the door and walking out to show Sharpay.

"Gabs, you are so hott!" she said and got up from the chair that she was sitting in. "Spin for me." She ordered and Gabriella did as she was told, turning around and then back to face Sharpay. "I love it."

"Maybe for you Shar, but I kind of hate it. I hate the way it fits and I don't feel good in it." Sharpay's smile dropped but she quickly recovered and smiled brightly again. Gabriella smiled at how excited Sharpay got excited over little things. She turned and walked back into the changing room, ready to try on the other outfits.

All the rest went the same way, some she sort of liked but that majority of them were just as bad as the first. She walked out in the last dress that Sharpay had pulled out and she still had not fallen in love with any of them. "Sharpay, this is pointless! I should just go in my underwear!"

She smirked and stepped up to take a look at the gold dress that was extremely tight but still looked killer on Gabriella. "I bet all the guys would love that…" she trailed off and Gabriella turned her head quickly to the side to glare at Sharpay, but something caught her eye, making her stop her action. She walked towards the light purple dress that was hanging by itself on the rack. Checking the size, she smiled and pulled it off the rack before running back into the dressing room. She ripped the other dress off and slipped on the new one. It was a spaghetti strap light violet dress that had a band of darker purple sequins under the bust. It hit her about halfway down her thigh and danced over her skin. She smiled and felt like she was glowing. Turning to the side, the dress expressed how tiny her waist was and highlighted her subtle curves.

She opened the door with a huge grin plastered to her face and giggled when she saw Sharpay's jaw drop. "I think I found it Sharpay." She smiled and twirled in front of her new friend.

"Hell yes you found it girl!" she said and went over to Gabriella and ran her hand over the fabric of the dress. "Every guy in that place is going to go nuts when they see you." Then her eyes lit up and she started to back up. "Don't move a muscle Gabriella!" she warned and ran off into the store. Gabriella turned around and looked at her reflection in the mirror, maybe tonight would be fun.

Sharpay returned and had a box of shoes in her hand along with a set of earrings. "Here, I saw these pair of Louboutin's and you so need them, and these earrings are amazing with the dress too." Sharpay pulled out a pair of silver pointed toe pumps and held them up for Gabriella. She smiled and placed the shoe on her foot before grabbing the other and doing the same with it. Sharpay smiled approvingly when Gabriella twirled in the dress with the shoes now on her feet.

Putting Gabriella in heels was the best idea that Sharpay had had so far during the shopping trip. They made her legs flex in a way that caused her calves and thighs to be tight and sexy. They were strong but in the most appealing way, and especially appealing with the dark tan that they possessed. "Gabriella, if I was a guy, I would take you right here and now in the dressing room and I haven't even done your hair or makeup yet." She grinned as Gabriella blushed.

"Thanks I guess." Gabriella responded and laughed a little bit. Although she loved the shoes, there was no way that she could afford the authentic Louboutin's. "But Shar, I cant get the shoes, they are too expensive."

"Fine babes, ill buy them for you. My dad is like super rich and doesn't care what I get." She smiled and so did Gabriella.

"I can't ask you to do that Sharpay. We've only known each other for less than a day." Gabriella responded and took a seat on the bench, causing the dress to scoot further up her thigh.

"I can and I will… and who am I to mess with a perfect outfit." Sharpay said and walked away before Gabriella had the chance to protest. She sighed and walked back into the dressing room to change back into her other clothes.

Placing everything that she didn't want back onto the return rack, she took the dress, heels and earrings with her to find Sharpay. Finally spotting the high blonde ponytail, Gabriella walked towards her with her items in hand. She was shocked to find that Sharpay was in the lingerie isle, and had an assortment of items in her hand. "Oh Gabs, come here a minute. We have to make sure no lines are seen through the dress so would you rather have lace or a thong?"

"What?" she asked a little taken back.

"So there's no panty lines through the material, you need to either have a thong or thin lace underwear." Sharpay informed Gabriella with a completely calm voice like this was a conversation you would be having with your mother.

"I don't really care but I do have lace and thongs in my suitcase." Gabriella informed the distracted Sharpay and she smiled.

"Oh goody!" she clapped her hands and threw the under garments on a random table before taking her hand and dragging her to the registers. This was going to be a really long night for Gabriella.

* * *

"Sharpay!" Gabriella called impatiently from the main room of Sharpay's hotel suite. She had been ready to go for about a half hour now and Sharpay had locked herself in the bathroom getting ready. Gabriella's hair, thanks to Sharpay, had been curled to the max and placed in a mock side pony tail with loose strands falling out at strategically placed areas framing her face, and the rest of the hair was cascading over her shoulder. And her eyes were defined with black eyeliner and mascara with dark shades of plum and purple covering her lids. Her lips were a light sheer pink, also accredited to Sharpay.

"Okay, okay Gabriella!" Sharpay responded opening the bathroom door to reveal herself all made up. He long blonde hair was straightened and she had on a pink, who would of thought, silky dress and black pumps.

"You look amazing Shar." Gabriella complimented and grabbed her black dress coat before shrugging into it. It was the middle of winter and they were both going to freeze their asses off before they got to the club but Sharpay said it was all going to be worth it at the end of the night.

"Not as good as you girl!" she laughed and also put on her coat. They grabbed their purses and keys before heading out the door and to the lobby to meet the cab that they had called to pick them up. They two got glanced over from the moment they entered the lobby until the time that they got out of the cab and entered the loud and packed night club. Gabriella immediately felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that were packed into a small area. She could feel the heat instantly that was rising off of the dancing bodies in the middle of the floor, but blushed when she saw what was causing them to overheat, their dancing. Bodies were pushed up against each other and hands were exploring unknown territory.

Sharpay grabbed Gabriella's hand and pulled her through the center of the sweaty dance floor until they came out the other side where booths were lined against the back wall. Luckily, they saw one open immediately and Sharpay went and claimed it before someone else could. Gabriella shrugged off her jacket and slid into the booth opposite of Sharpay, placing her purse under her coat and beside her against the wall. She looked at Sharpay who smiled evilly and leaned forward a little bit.

"Gabs…" she said and propped her chin on her hand before smiling even more, looking at Gabriella through her thick lashes.

"What?" Gabriella replied confused.

"Would you be a sweet heart and get me a drink from the bar?" she said and leaned back in the seat against, crossing her arms across her stomach and looking at Gabriella with puppy dog eyes.

"Why can't you get it?" Gabriella asked again and crossed her legs under the table, causing her dress to move up, revealing more of her thigh to all that took a glance at the table.

"Because if I leave you here by yourself, someone might come and try and take our table. And personally, I don't think you would be mean enough to fight them off." Sharpay said and smiled. She had a point, Gabriella didn't want to be left at a table by herself, she would be defenseless.

Sighing, Gabriella agreed and asked, "What do you want?" Gabriella asked and stuck out her hand for Sharpay's money.

"Mai Tai please." Sharpay smiled and watched as Gabriella walked of into the dance floor in order to get to the bar on the other side of the club. When she reached the bar, there was a crowd around five people deep, and Gabriella sighed, swearing under her breath.

She was going to kill Sharpay because she was going to be here for hours, if only she was taller and stronger, she could just push her way through the crowd to get to the front. She pushed a stray piece of hair back over her right shoulder and looked for a weak spot in the rows of people.

Gabriella was looking down at the floor when she felt a pair of eyes on her, ones that felt as if they were burning a hole through her skin and she looked up, coming to meet a pair of dark, almost black eyes. She blushed a little, the guy was attractive, but seemed a little scary. He waved her over to him and cautiously Gabriella made her way towards the taller man.

"I can get you to the front if you want." He said and Gabriella nodded. His hand, which felt cold to her skin even through her dress, ended up on her hip as he pushed her through the many layers of people. When they got to the front, he stood with his arm around her back, and his body on the other, caging her in between himself and the wooden structure. He raised his hand and motioned for a bartender to come over, which they did. "What do you want?" he asked in her ear, closer than she would have liked.

"A Mai Tai." She responded over the noise of the busy club. He relayed the information to the bar tender and turned to face Gabriella while they waited. After a couple awkward minutes with Ben, the guy who had helped her, the drink was ready and she paid before backing out of the crowd. Just when she thought that she was home free, her back collided with someone else, the drink spilling a little bit. "Dammit!" She said more to herself than to the person behind her.

She was about to turn around and apologize to the person, but felt a hand settle on the front of her right hip, it was a touch that she recognized, burning hot and strong but gentle on her small waist. Next came the warm breathe next to her ear and a slight chuckle that was all too familiar. "You know, we should really stop meeting like this Gabriella." The husky voice said and she knew instantly who it was, her body freezing in its current position.

She turned her head to look at him, and he smiled down at her while she blushed. "Hey." she said and he laughed a little more.

"Hi." He replied and removed his hand from her waist, allowing her to turn around and face him. "Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" he asked and smirked down at her.

"Oh, yeah… this is for my friend Sharpay. She's saving a table for us in the back of the club." Gabriella smiled and glanced over his attire. He was wearing the same dark jeans as earlier in the day, but changed to a white tee shirt and a white lightweight hoodie that he had pushed halfway up his forearm.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Troy asked and her eye brows furrowed together in confusion. Troy saw this and stepped to the side so that she could see for the first time that Troy wasn't there alone, but with someone else that had an obnoxiously large afro on his head. "This is my friend Chad." Troy said and Gabriella smiled.

"I don't care, if you want to you can." She said and he smiled.

"Wait here until I get a drink." She nodded and watched as Troy effortlessly pushed his way to the front of the crowd and retrieved two beers. He paid and made his way out, handing one over to Chad before taking Gabriella's hand in his as she turned away to walk towards the table. She looked back and down at the connection that their two hands were making. His fingers were laced loosely with hers and her hand fit perfectly. She glanced up and met his deep cerulean eyes and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't want to get lost." He responded over the music and she turned as a blush spread across her features. She began the tight journey through the dance floor towards the table with troy right behind her and she assumed Chad behind him. Gabriella looked down as they exited the mob of people to avoid the shocked expression that she would receive from Sharpay.

Gabriella made her way to the table and when they got there, she dropped Troy's hand and scooted into the booth, followed closely by Troy who sat close enough to her so that his thigh was touching hers under the table. Sharpay finally held Gabriella's gaze and looked at her like she was going to murder her. "Umm… Sharpay, this is Troy and…" she trailed off and looked at the guy that had slid in the opposite side next to Sharpay.

"Chad Danforth." The dark skinned guy said and smiled before taking a swig of his beer.

"And guys this is my friend Sharpay." Gabriella explained while sliding Sharpay's drink across the table. Sharpay and Chad easily fell into conversation and Gabriella sighed in relief when the look of death coming from her friends had subsided and been replaced with joy. She crossed her legs under the table and caught Troy's stare lingering on her newly exposed flesh before taking a drink from his bottle and leaning back, casually lifting his arm and putting it on the back of the seat behind her head. His other hand rested on the table with the beer in it.

"So why aren't you drinking tonight?" he asked and met her confused gaze with his. "I mean, your old enough here and it's not like anyone would ever know about it." He said and held her gaze with his own powerful one.

"I would know, and would feel guilty in the long run that I did something that isn't right." She smiled and crossed her arms across her stomach under her breasts. Troy just laughed a little bit at her and took another drink from his brown bottle.

"Well, I'll stop after this bottle and stay sober with you. I don't want you to feel alone seeing as you'll be the only one not drunk at this small gathering." He said and placed his bottle on the table. Gabriella broke out in a fit of small giggles causing a look of pure joy to cross Troy's features.

"Oh you're such a good Samaritan Troy." She giggled a little more and leaned back in the seat, her hair flowing over Troy arm behind her neck.

"But there is one condition Gabriella." He said and seriousness crossed the perfectly golden features of his face. She lifted her gaze and met his piercing gaze full on. It was if nothing else in the room was happening except the interactions between her and the snowboarder.

"And what's that Troy?"

He smiled a little bit more and pushed a stray curl out of her face, "You have to dance with me tonight." A slight blush appeared on her soft features as Troy glanced over her face, checking to see her reaction to his proposition.

"Deal." She simply answered and continued to stare into the deep pools of blue in front of her. Even in the smoky and dark atmosphere inside the night club, she just noticed how pure and beautifully blue his eyes were. If she could only see one pair of eyes ever again in her life, they would be the azure ones in front of her.

"What's wrong Gabriella?" he said and took a sip from his halfway emptied bottle of beer.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. You would think that I was some sort of stalker and psycho if I told you." She said and looked down at the table in front of her. His hand turned her face back to his and then he let it fall to rest on the exposed skin of her thigh. She internally sighed in relief that she had shaved her legs before leaving for the club.

"Please tell me." He said and squeezed the now covered flesh a little in his hand.

"It's nothing, I swear." She said and blushed deeply.

"Then tell me." He smirked a little and connected their gaze once again. Something he did to her was unknown and powerful. One glance of his eyes made her want to sit down and spill all of her secrets to the man in front of her.

"I was just… uhh… thinking how beautiful your eyes were." She blushed even deeper and he smiled wider, letting a throaty chuckle escape through his slightly parted lips. Much to Gabriella's disappointment, Troy removed his hand from her thigh, leaving behind a spot where it felt like the skin was tingling.

"Well…" he began and moved closer to Gabriella's ear, the music switching to something louder so that it was hard to hear between the two of them. "To tell you the truth, I've been thinking how beautiful you are all night from the first moment I saw you when I walked in the door." He smiled and took his bottle in his hand before lifting it to his lips to finish the rest of the amber liquid.

Gabriella once again blushed as she felt her heart jump up and pound in her chest. Troy Bolton thought that she looked beautiful! She glanced across the table to meet Sharpay's stare, in order to ask with her eyes if she had heard that. But, she was shocked to find that both Sharpay and Chad were gone. "What happened to those two?" she asked and turned quickly to meet Troy's gaze.

"To dance I think, they said something but it was loud and I couldn't hear them." He said and looked out onto the dance floor where guys were placing their hands on women that obviously didn't want them touching their bodies. Gabriella's mouth parted a little at Troy's statement, she had been too involved with him that she didn't even notice that the only two other people that she was sitting with had left.

She looked up at his face, and was surprised to find that there was a slight hint of anger and disgust on his features. She shakily brought her small hand up and cupped his cheek with it, letting the slight stubble along his jaw tickle her fingers. He turned to face her and she looked into his eyes again, asking what was wrong without words.

"It just makes me angry that every guy out there is basically groping those women and none of them look too pleased about it." He smiled a little, "A woman's body is a beautiful thing, almost like a forbidden object and shouldn't be touched unless the said person has permission to do so. Just the way that women carry themselves is amazing to me. Their lips are so full…" he glanced down at her lips before continuing, "and look so delicious but shouldn't be tasted unless the woman is comfortable with it. A man's job, I think, is to make the woman feel comfortable at all times and make sure that she has everything that she wants. Clearly, the guys out their don't feel the same respect that I do towards a woman." He chuckled a little bit and Gabriella was awestruck.

If not before, Gabriella decided that she had just fallen in love with Troy Bolton as those words crossed the threshold of his lips. She could feel her heart rate beginning to pick up and her body felt like it just heated up ten degrees. Everything that all of the papers and magazines said about him were absolutely false. Listening to her heart rather than her head, she whispered out almost inaudibly, "Dance with me…"

He smiled brightly and stood up out of the booth and held his hand out for her to take. She did softly as he pulled her up out of the booth. "My pleasure." He replied and laced his hand with hers and walked with her behind him until they were in the middle of the crowded and sweaty dance floor.

Gabriella could feel her heart rate pick up again as she realized what she was about to do. The only dances that she has been to were chaperoned and dancing the way she and Troy were going to was strongly prohibited. She was beyond nervous. Everyone around her was basically having sex on the floor, but Troy's eyes never left her face. She glanced around and was about to panic and back out of the situation when she felt his strong hands slide over the soft fabric of her dress to rest on her lower back. He kept room between their bodies and Gabriella was shocked when he just started to rock back and forth.

"However you're comfortable Brie…" he mumbled and kept with the slow rhythm even if the song was blasting and going fifty times faster than the two of them. Gabriella gently moved her hands up his chest and held onto her wrist with her other hand behind his neck. She could have sworn she heard a groan as she slowly made her way up his chest, but she let it go.

Soon enough, the song changed to _DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love_ by Usher and Gabriella smiled, she loved this song. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her groin against Troy's center and he stiffened a little bit. Gabriella blushed and stepped back, but before she could get too far, Troy grabbed her waist smiling and pulled her back against his chest so that her back was against him. His hands rested on her hips and he started moving his hips to the beat, Gabriella following, rubbing her ass against his groin in time with the beat. Her hand went up and slid to the back of his neck as they immersed into deep grind.

Gabriella felt like she was floating on cloud nine as her body began to heat up slowly as she continued moving to the time of the music. Troy's grip on her hips tightened a little bit as he brought her body even more back into his own well defined one. She felt the fire spread through her whole body and especially onto her neck where his lips were shadowing a light kiss along her neck.

Gabriella closed her eyes and waited for the kiss to come against her neck, she could feel his struggling breath against her neck and she breathed in a shaky breath. He grabbed a little tighter on her hips as Gabriella's hands found their place on top of his larger ones. She swore the kiss was coming at any moment now. She breathed in a little more one last time and waited, but before his lips could find her skin, Gabriella felt a hand grab her upper arm and pull her away from the warmth of his touch. Gabriella looked back over her shoulder and saw that Chad was talking to Troy, but his deeper blue stare remained glued to the figure currently with the blonde.

"Dance with me Gabs." Sharpay ordered and laughed a little as she grabbed onto Gabriella's hips and started to rock back and forth to the beat. But before the two could even exchange a word, they were interrupted by the two males.

"Do either of you want a drink? We're going to the bar." Chad announced and Sharpay shook her head no and Gabriella just giggled. She felt Troy's presence next to her and she looked over her shoulder at the man behind her.

Troy leaned down to her ear and said loudly over the noise of the music, "Are you gonna stay here? Our dance was interrupted and I want another one." He said smirking and Gabriella laughed again, this time nodding and smiling. He returned the smile and walked through the crowd with Chad hot on his heels.

"He so wants you Gabriella." Sharpay said and smiled at the brunette who promptly blushed at the remark. "He can't keep his hands off of you! But his friend is super fine and he is an amazing dancer. Let's hope he's as good in bed as he is on the dance floor." Another blush crossed Gabriella's features at the mention of sex on the first date. But who was she to control Sharpay? She was a grown woman and could obviously handle herself if the occasion arises.

"We talked for awhile, and I've never met anyone like him Shar." Gabriella spoke and Sharpay smiled widely at her new friend.

"So he's nothing like the arrogant ass that all of the papers and magazines make him out to be?" She questioned and one eyebrow rose in question.

"Not at all, he is so… I don't even know how to explain it…" a smile formed on Gabriella's lips that was one hundred percent genuine, something that hadn't happened in a really long time.

* * *

Gathering her purse and jacket, Gabriella looked around the still crowded dance club, Sharpay nowhere to be found. Troy came up beside her with his coat now on. "What's wrong Gabs?" he asked and leaned back against the table while Gabriella continued to search the dance floor with her eyes for any sign of Sharpay's bright blonde hair.

Ignoring Troy's question for the time being, she pulled out her phone and found that she had a new text message from Sharpay. She opened it, finding a message explaining that read: _Went back to the hotel with Chad, you and Troy looked like you were having too much fun and we didn't want to interrupt. You'll have to catch a cab by yourself babes, sorry. Love, Shar._

Under her breath, Gabriella breathed, "Dammit." She let her head fall back to look up and she took a deep breath.

Troy once again asked his question, "What's wrong?" while he placed his arm behind her back.

"Do you want to share a cab going back to the hotel? Sharpay left with Chad and I'm a little scarred to ride in a cab by myself honestly." She giggled a little bit and shifted from foot to foot nervously.

He chuckled a little bit and shook his head no. "Not really, but I can offer you one better than that." He smirked and Gabriella furrowed her eyes brows together in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I can just drive you back to the hotel." He trailed off and pulled his keys out of his pocket. "That is unless you're afraid to be in a car with me by yourself like a taxi driver." He chuckled a little under his breath.

She blushed and pushed him on the shoulder so that he stumbled away from her a little, but her stepped right back to her. "Shut up!"

"Okay whatever, do you want the ride or not?" he asked and started to walk towards the door. Gabriella smiled and took off after him, catching him before he had to cross the dance floor. She tugged on his arm and when he turned around, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close to her, whispering thank you into his ear. His arms wrapped around her waist and she was forced to stand on her tip toes. His warm hands were burning her through her dress and she smiled into his strong shoulder, his embrace was so natural, comfortable, and safe.

Little did she know, Troy was thinking how perfectly her small frame fit to his stronger and larger body as he inhaled the sensual fragrance of Raspberries that lingering in her hair. What were the chances of him meeting her in the club that night? A million to one… Well, he thanked a higher power that they were untied once again.

**I'm so sorry that it was late, but this is the busiest time of the year for me so updates probably won't be that frequent… but bear with me until things start to slow down… I love you all and your amazing reviews, especially **Withoutspaces… **They are always so long and I look forward to reading it every time that I post something new! :)**


	5. Beginnings

**I'm back! Well at least for now… I had this ready in November, and then my computer crashed and I lost everything… I know a lot of people say this, but it really did happen to me. And there is nothing that I can say that will make any of you hate me less for not updating for more than 5 months, but I'm sorry. I can't even tell you how much not writing was taking a toll on me. I have about enough ideas built up I my head to write like 4 more stories. This is insane! Well I guess I'll let you get to the actual chapter now :) Enjoy!**

_Speechless Chapter 5: Beginnings_

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

**- Mother Teresa **

Gabriella rolled over in her bed, loving the feeling of the soft cotton on her exposed skin and the feeling of the cool and comfortable pillow on her hot face. She took a long and drawn out breathe letting it fill her tired body as she sunk even deeper into the comforts of the mattress. God it felt amazing to just lay there and let her muscles fall into an even deeper state of relaxation. Dancing with Troy at the club the previous night seemed so surreal and far away from her now. The way that his hands moved over her body and how his breathe hitched in her ear when she did something unpredictable was so unbelievably sexy. Sharpay was right, Troy couldn't keep his hands off of her body, but he hadn't pushed past anything that would make her feel uncomfortable.

She opened her eyes and saw that it was 5:52 in the morning. Why was she up already? They hadn't gotten back to the hotel until almost two in the morning, meaning she should be completely dead right now. Gabriella closed her eyes and willed herself to go back to sleep. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and felt her body slipping back into unconsciousness. But just as she reached that state between sleep and consciousness, loud banging started. She reached over and hit the snooze button groggily on the alarm, but the sound continued. She opened her eyes once again and realized that it was the door and not the alarm clock. She threw the covers back, letting the cold air touch her skin and she gasped, goose bumps instantly covering all exposed flesh. She was going to kill whoever was at the door. She stomped towards the door, her sight turning red as she approached the wooden structure. She ripped open the door as the person continued knocking.

"What the fuck is your problem, do you know what ti…" she stopped mid sentence as Sharpay stood with her hand still up from knocking as she glanced over Gabriella's choice of pajamas. Looking down herself, Gabriella saw that she had just took off the dress and threw on a three days grace tee shirt before sinking into her bed last night, leaving her in just her underwear and the black tee shirt that hugged her hips and across her chest.

"Wow sweetie, you look exhausted. What did Troy do to you last night? Where is he?" she peered into the dark room and only saw that he roommate, Alex, was the only one remaining in the room.

"What do you mean Sharpay?" Gabriella asked as she walked back into the room confused. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants that sat low on her hips and pulled her mess of curls in to a muddled bun.

"So there was no sex? Wow." She stopped and stared at Gabriella quietly for a second. "Are you telling me that there was no sex after you two were dancing like you were? And you're definitely tired enough, he could have been here ramming into you until the tinny hours of the morning easily."

Gabriella's eyes got wide at the fact that Sharpay just said that. She didn't feel that tired, she hoped that she didn't look like that. "I…"

But Sharpay jumped in again and started talking. "Wow Gabriella, then what happened last night because you definitely are glowing?" Sharpay sat down on Gabriella's bed and crossed her long legs. Gabriella glanced over her shoulder and saw that Alex was surprisingly still asleep, even with all of the noise that Sharpay was making .

Turning back to face Sharpay, Gabriella answered, "Nothing. We danced and talked, and then he drove me home. That's it."

"Did he even kiss you?" Gabriella stopped and thought for a second. Did Troy running his lips along her neck and shoulder while dancing constitute as kissing? She remembered how his lips had caused electricity to flow through her body, but she shook it off, ignoring Sharpay's question as she busied herself collecting the things that she would need to shower and get ready for the day. "He did, didn't he?" Sharpay exclaimed and clapped her hands.

"No Shar, he didn't kiss me. Now can we talk about this later? I have to get ready for practice. I have it early today and I don't want to be late on the first day." Gabriella crossed her arms across her stomach and cocked a hip out to the side. Sharpay held her hands up in defense and hugged an unwilling Gabriella before stepping towards the door.

"I expect a call later today, I have practice runs at ten this morning and they go until one, but after that I _will_ hear everything that happened even if I have to tie you to a chair." Gabriella laughed and nodded before waving and shutting the door behind her and stepping towards the bathroom to shower.

The scolding water felt refreshing on her cold skin, taking away all the dirt and grime from the smoky club they were at the night before as well as from her sleep. It was going to be a long day starting with practice from 8 until whenever her coach wanted her to stay. Then she got somewhat of a break before She had to meet up with Sharpay so that she didn't kill Gabriella while she was sleeping, and then the whole skating team, the girls and the guys, were meeting under coaches orders to run at least 5 miles. Even though they were finally here, they had to keep their endurance.

Sighing and figuring that she had been in the shower long enough; she turned off the water and stepped out once again into the chilled air of the hotel room. Why did if have to be freezing when they were inside too? She smiled a little when she saw the dress she was wearing last night draped over the chair at the desk. One thing was certain; she couldn't wait to get to know Troy Bolton better.

* * *

"Troy, how did you know that chick at the bar last night?" Chad asked as he mindlessly pushed the snow around that was by his hips. Troy had been sitting gazing off into space as the wind whipped around him and his friend as they sat at the top of the hill waiting for their turn to take a run down the half pipe. It was nine in the morning, and way too early, according to Troy, to already be on their third run of the morning. Don't get him wrong, he loved being on the mountain and feeling the frigid air rush around him, but right now his bed in the hotel was looking better and better.

Turning to look over his shoulder at Chad, Troy responded to the questions, "We ran into each other, literally, when she was checking into the hotel yesterday afternoon." He said and watched as the sun was rising higher into the cloudy sky.

"She was hott dude." Chad said and laid back into the snow, closing his eyes and breathing in the rich mountain air. "How old is she?"

"I'm not sure man, look in just about any magazine about the Olympics; she's bound to be a cover story in any of them." Troy responded and balled up a handful of snow and perfected the snow ball in his gloved covered hands.

"Why?"

"That's Gabriella Montez, the figure skating protégé." Troy responded and smiled as he thought of her small frame under his fingertips as her hips kept time with the fast paced beat of the music.

"Really…? Isn't she only like 18 years old?" Chad asked with all seriousness.

"I think she's almost 20." He responded but couldn't get the image of her out of his mind. He eyes, her legs, and her toned little body.

"Dude, that's still a lot younger than you." Chad responded and sat up again, facing his friend with a look of fascination on his dark face.

Troy shrugged and pulled his beanie further down over his ears and adjusting the goggles that rested on his forehead for the time being. He continued to watch the other boarders from all around the world as they made their way down the icy half pipe, each showing what they were made of. He knew that he shouldn't be watching them, that he should just focus on what he was trained to do and what he loved, but it was only human to size up the competition. "It's only two years," Troy responded finally.

"I guess, but you're a fucking lucky bastard, you know that right?" Chad said and threw a snowball he had made over to the side near the outside of the pipe.

"Why?" Troy responded and launched his perfectly shaped snowball a little further than Chad had thrown his, causing Chad to pout a little and make another snowball just to prove that he could throw it further than Troy could.

"For getting with her, man." He said throwing the snowball where the other two had landed.

"I barely even know her Chad, and I didn't sleep with her." He told Chad truthfully and reached down to strap his foot back into his board before standing on the front edge of the board, facing up the mountain at the darker skinned snow boarder.

"Sure you didn't Bolton." Chad snapped back and also strapped his foot into the board. "I saw the way you two were basically attached at the hips last night on the dance floor, it was defiantly pre-sex dancing."

"I didn't sleep with her; we'll finish this later Danforth. Right now I have to go show you up with this run." Troy smirked and turned to build speed so that he could drop into the half pipe and get as much air as possible, leaving Chad behind him with a questioning look on his face.

Watching as Troy flew through is run, hitting every mark and trick perfectly, Chad shook his head in disbelief. How was it that this was Troy's first Olympics, clearly he would have been good enough the last time the winter Olympics came around. He was going higher than anyone else and it didn't even look like he was trying.

Chad shook it off and when Troy reached the bottom of the course, he began down the hill to drop in and get used to the feeling on the new half pipe beneath his board. He completed his run without any faults, but not going as hard as he would need to in the next few days. When he got to the bottom of the hill, he stopped in front of Troy and took his goggles off of his head. "You two definitely fucked last night."

Troy shook his head and pushed over to the ski lift that would take both of them back up to the top of the mountain. Chad followed close behind and caught Troy's remark, "Believe what you want to Chad, but it's not true."

"It is to. I can tell because I know everything." Chad snidely remarked and Troy just let out a laugh at how immature Chad was being with the whole situation.

"The only thing that you should be worried about right now Chad is the fact that I just kicked your ass on that last run. You're going to be in for a rough road ahead if you don't pick it up." Troy smirked and sat on the ski lift followed closely by Chad who sat next to him.

"Okay, you're on Bolton. Best run next time gets twenty bucks from the loser." He proposed and watched as the rider that just went down wiped out half way through his run. "We get a third party to judge and they have the final say, no begging or pleading."

"I gladly accept your challenge." Troy laughed and closed his eyes as the gentle rocking of the ski lift was lulling him into a sleep that he had not received the night before.

Troy had brought his A game and completely blew Chad out of the water when they competed between the two of them. Chad protested and said that it was rigged, but Troy just laughed and held out his hand to collect his winnings. Chad reluctantly handed him twenty dollars and said a few obscurities under his breathe.

"So, did you get her number or was it just like a one night thing?" Chad asked and Troy pushed him roughly on the shoulder causing Chad to stumble back a little bit.

"Give it a rest Danforth, I didn't sleep with her." Troy responded.

"I don't know why you're keeping it a secret, I would be boasting if I got into America's Sweetheart's pants." Troy just chose to ignore Chad's constant pestering about what had happened between him and Gabriella the night before. It wasn't any of his business anyway. So much for getting away from all of his family drama during his time here, it looked as if things might be getting interesting in the upcoming weeks. Chad couldn't stop talking about it and he hadn't even technically kissed her yet.

* * *

Gabriella arrived at the rink with much more than the upcoming practice on her mind. She couldn't figure out what everything that happened the night before meant. Why had he held her so close, why was he hesitant to say goodnight when they parted ways, why were his eyes so captivating and always in her head? But she knew that as soon as her blade hit the ice and she took a deep breathe that everything else would disappear and it would just be her and the ice beneath her.

Walking into the locker room with her back pack on her shoulders and her i-Pod in her ears, she came face to face with all of the other American skaters; she smiled a little but avoided all of their gazes. She was the youngest skater by at least seven years and for some of them, this was their last shot at gold. She didn't want to be that person, the one that takes away their last chance to medal, but she was here to win, she was a competitor and she wasn't going to back down to anybody.

She sat on a bench by herself and slipped off her sweatpants to leave her in the black leggings that she wore sometimes for practicing. She unpacked her skates and placed both of them on her foot before lacing them up tight and comfortable. Then she pulled the bright blue leg warmers over her skates and let them fall on her leg so that they bunched from her lower calves to her ankles. She unzipped the warm up jacket she was wearing to reveal a bright green sweater that fell of her shoulder to reveal the white strap of her white wife beater she wore underneath. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun and placed a thin blue head band in her hair before standing and stretching over her head. She pulled on a pair of thin black gloves and made her way to the rink.

She took a deep breathe and smiled as the blades slid over the glass-like ice. Everything that she was thinking about slipped from her mind as she spun slowly and looked up to see all of the stands around her. In a matter of a few weeks those seats would be filled with people from all over the world. Some would be rooting for her and some would be against her.

She smiled and closed her eyes, getting used to the sounds and all the motions of the building. She jumped a little when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She opened her eyes and turned her neck to see her coach standing behind her. "Jerry!" she smiled and gave him a hug. Jerry was a thirty year old skater who blew out his knee and wasn't able to compete competitively anymore, so took it as his time to start training champions. He had won two gold medals in previous Olympics and had been training Gabriella since she could basically walk.

"Hey baby girl. Are you ready for this?" he asked and smiled.

"Yeah…" she said and a huge smile spread across her lips. The two of them began taking warm up laps around the ice while talking about her trip here and what she had been up too. Once they completed a few laps, Jerry began adding tricks she had to do within the warm up laps. She nailed every one of the challenges and Jerry smiled and shook his head, it was going to be a great practice and a great competition. He gave her some things to work on and he went to talk with the head coaches of the whole team.

Three hours later when all of the other skaters had finished and left the ice, Gabriella was still working on the tough parts in her routine. She had her i-Pod in her ears with her song playing, and was in her own little world. She was always the first one on the ice and the last one to leave. Jerry smiled and skated over to her. "Gabs, the other teams are coming in, and it's time you take a break. I don't want you to overstress your muscles." Gabriella smiled and took her headphones out, she always lost track of time when she was on the ice.

"Fine." She said and followed Jerry off of the ice. Now she had to face an even bigger challenge than trying to remember all of her routines, she had to face the unrelenting questioning of the platinum blonde back at the hotel, oh boy.

After cleaning up in the locker room that was available to the athletes, she picked up her cell phone and searched through her contacts to find Sharpay. Pressing the green call button, she placed the phone next to her ear and waited for Sharpay to answer. When she did, Gabriella informed her that she was on her way back to the hotel and if she wanted to know anything, she would be back in her room within the half hour.

* * *

"Gabriella, can you believe that today is the day!" Sharpay exclaimed and squealed a little as the two friends were riding the elevator down to the lobby to meet the two men that seemed to be constantly on each of their minds. Gabriella couldn't get over the feeling that she got every time that Troy made contact with her, and every time that he released her, she was craving it even more. And his eyes, the brilliant blue that burns into her when his gaze shifts to her makes her heart jump without permission from her brain.

Snapping back into the conversation with Sharpay, she smiled and laughed a little. "I know right, I never thought that this day was never going to come." Gabriella smiled and felt the chills run through her system as the doors opened to the lobby. Both Gabriella and Sharpay were wearing the team USA warm up suites they got when they were given the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. It was a navy blue sweat suite with the navy blue track pants and the matching jacket with a hood. Gabriella added her own touch by tucking her pants into her pair of grey triple button Bailey Button UGGs. She also had white under armor on underneath the jacket and had her hair down to keep her head a little warmer.

The two girls stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the two guys standing and talking. Both of them were wearing what the rest of the snowboarders were wearing, their team jackets and a pair of jeans. Sharpay ran up and basically jumped Chad, their relationship had grown extremely quickly, it only had been two weeks since they first met. Troy, who had his back to the elevator, turned and saw Gabriella approaching the group, he lifted his eyes and instantly connected them with Gabriella's. She blushed a little and almost stopped breathing when she saw him in his grey beanie, his golden hair sticking out the bottom, and his eyes penetrating her like knives. When she reached him, he smiled and brought her into a warm hug, embracing her longer than a hug between just friends. They broke apart and Troy kept his left arm slung over her shoulders, and she kept her right hand around his lower back, resting her hand on his hip.

"Troy..." Chad called out and caused troy to break his gaze at the beauty under his embrace. Chad smirked, "Shot gun" the group laughed and started towards the doors that led out to the bitterness of the mountain air. When they reached the car, Gabriella and Sharpay jumped into the backseat while troy and Chad cleaned off the snow from the outside of the car so that they could see while driving. After a couple of minutes, Troy and Chad got back into the car and looked in the back seat to see that Gabriella had curled her legs up and had Troy's sweatshirt that was in the back of the car balled up and between her head and the window as a pillow.

"Brie, you know that it's only like a forty minute drive to get there?" Troy inquired and looked as she lazily opened her eyes.

"Then stop talking to me, training was rough today. I'll tell you about it later if you want but right now I just want sleep." She readjusted the hoodie and closed her eyes again. Chad and Troy started to laugh a little. He shook his head and thought to himself that she was completely adorable. Troy cranked up the heater and shifted into reverse before backing out of the spot and making his way to the meeting spot for team USA.

Gabriella was brought back to consciousness by a whip of cold air and Sharpay's manicured hand lightly shaking her arm. She lifted her head and stretched, trying to gain the knowledge of where she was. There was a pink tint to her cheeks and glassiness to her eyes. Sharpay got out of the truck, and left Gabriella by herself. She moved the hoodie and undid her seatbelt before opening the door. Troy stood waiting for her, and dropped his arm around her shoulders when she stepped beside him. He locked the car as the started to walk away and he dropped the keys into his pocket. "Have a nice nap?"

"It was a little short but yeah I guess." She smiled and pushed her hands into her pockets, the cold already getting to her. He laughed a little and took his arm away from her shoulders. It was then that the first wave of cold actually hit her. She didn't realize it was that cold or else she would have worn more layers. Reflexively, she brought her hands up to her neck and started to move the clasp of her necklace to the back of her neck when the thin metal broke beneath her fingers. "Damn it!" she swore and held the broken gold in her hands.

"What's wrong Gabs?" Troy asked and stepped back to her.

"My necklace broke, it was my grandmas and my mom's going to kill me. Plus, I don't have any pockets to put it in." She looked down at the shiny object in her small hand.

"Give me it; I'll keep it safe in my pocket." She smiled and handed Troy the broken object, and hugged him around the waist.

"Thanks Troy." He chuckled softly as they continued to the small cabin where all of the members of team USA were supposed to wait until the actual beginning of the ceremony. There weren't a lot of seats, so Chad sat down and Sharpay sat in his lap. Troy just stood behind a chair and let Gabriella sit in front of him on the seat.

When it was time to make their entrance, everyone stood. Sharpay linked her arm through Gabriella's, and the two guys stood behind the over excited girls. Once outside of the cabin, Gabriella began to shake again, the temperature must have dropped five degrees since they entered their small waiting area. She reached up and pulled her hair to the front so that she could place the hood over her head and then zipped it all the way up. She then shoved her hands into her pockets and tried to take her mind off of it.

Team USA made their entrance into the stadium with the roar of the crowd. Forgetting about the temperature, Gabriella and Sharpay happily made their way alongside the countrymen, to where they were supposed to stand. They giggled and talked, waving when they saw cameras and towards the crowd. After the initial adrenaline was gone though, Gabriella and Sharpay found themselves separated slightly from the guys. They stood side by side until Sharpay saw another skier and left Gabriella by herself.

Troy and Chad had fallen in step with some other boarders, but they could still see the girls. They were chatting about the conditions of the snow when Troy glanced over and saw that Gabriella was now by herself and that she was shaking a little. He couldn't hear what Chad was saying anymore, he was focused on her. Once he saw her run her hands up and down her arms, he nudged Chad to the side and made his way over to Gabriella.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" he said and placed a hand on her elbow softly and then letting it fall to his side. He glanced over her face, noting the bright pink of her nose and cheeks. Her whole body was shaking now.

"Just cold." She smiled a little bit before looking at him in the eyes. "Why the hell aren't you freezing? I'm wearing sweats that are probably thicker than your jeans…"

Troy laughed a little and grabbed the bottom of his jacket and pulled it up a little, revealing not only his toned stomach but also the top of the black liner pants that he was wearing under his jeans. His lips formed a small smirk before he shook his head. "I was smart Brie."

"I didn't know it was going to be this cold!" she exclaimed and covered her nose with her sleeve. Troy laughed and reached up to unzip his jacket. He pulled it down to reveal the black Under Armor shirt along with his chiseled torso. He reached forward and grabbed her hands, guiding them to encircle his torso inside of the jacket. She smiled and pressed her frozen face against his chest and held onto his tighter. The warmth that was radiating off of his body was enough to satisfy anyone.

Troy smiled and wrapped his arms around the small body that was pressed into his with a huge amount of force. "You're completely frozen Gabriella."

"Tell me about it, but thank God that you're so hot…" A blush spread instantly over her features and Troy began to laugh, only causing her cheeks to become pinker. "I didn't mean… well I guess I di… Oh God…" She turned her face completely into his chest as he laughed even louder.

"You mean my body temperature simultaneously with my body physic." She nodded her head and he smiled. She had a way of making him do that.

* * *

Gabriella couldn't wait to shed her frozen clothing and throw on a pair of PJ pants, some fuzzy socks, and a long sleeve shirt and curl up under the covers and sleep until forever. When she walked into her room, her roommate had yet to return, which meant she would be interrupted again, but she might as well try to get a little sleep before that happened, after all it was about two in the morning.

She buried her head into the pillows and smiled at the reality that the events of the evening had actually happened. Troy had kept her warm all through the ceremony and then walked with her all the way to the room before finally parting ways for the night. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, relaxing when her phone began to buzz.

She groaned a little bit, but sat up and looked down at the lit screen. She almost dropped the phone when she saw what name was flashing on the screen: _Troy. _

**Once again, I'm so sorry! I hope you can all forgive me :) Days to write but only seconds to Review! I love you all!**


	6. Friendship

**Well, I'm back again! I hope that you all can forgive me. I really needed a break from the pressures of everything from school to work and everything in between. Though I enjoy writing, I just had to let it go for a while, but the longer I stayed away, the more I wanted to write. I would see something and be like, "Oh that would be an awesome thing to put into a story. So now I have about a years' worth of idea's floating around in my head. I hope that I can get onto a more consistent basis, but I say that all the time so I won't promise anything other than that I will try. **

_Speechless Chapter 6: __**Friendship**_

"Well, it seems to me that the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is... suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with"

-**Gillian Anderson**

_Gabriella couldn't wait to shed her frozen clothing and throw on a pair of PJ pants, some fuzzy socks, and a long sleeve shirt and curl up under the covers and sleep until forever. When she walked into her room, her roommate had yet to return, which meant she would be interrupted again, but she might as well try to get a little sleep before that happened, after all it was about two in the morning. _

_She buried her head into the pillows and smiled at the reality that the events of the evening had actually happened. Troy had kept her warm all through the ceremony and then walked with her all the way to the room before finally parting ways for the night. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, relaxing when her phone began to buzz. _

_She groaned a little bit, but sat up and looked down at the lit screen. She almost dropped the phone when she saw what name was flashing on the screen: _Troy_. _

The phone almost slipped from her hand in shock, sure the two of them had been hanging out and spending time together, but every time that she gets a message from him it is like the first. Her heart begins to beat faster and she can't help but let a smile crawl onto her light pink lips. Biting her lip, she opens the message and reads the words in front of her slowly.

_I have something that might interest you… meet for breakfast and you can have it? – Troy_

Thinking about it, she had no idea what he had that could interest her, well other than the obvious physical pleasures among other unmentionable things, but she was certain that those were not what he was talking about. She sat in the dark, with the light of her phone the only thing that was illuminating the room. She crossed her legs under the blankets and began to type, another smile finding its way to her lips.

_You didn't have to bribe me Troy, I'd love to go to breakfast with you! Time and place? –Gabriella_

She took a deep breath, and waited for the reply, which only took a few seconds. He must have been waiting by his phone, or at least near it to respond that quickly. Once again she revealed the message to see what he had to say.

_Meet me in the lobby at 9:30, we'll pick something then. Night beautiful! – Troy_

When Gabriella's eyes scanned the message in front of her, she felt her heart beat faster and the deep crimson blush cross her face. He was always dropping compliments like that, and Gabriella being the modest girl that she was, was not good at accepting these compliments. There was no way that he thought that she was more beautiful than all of the other girls that were out there. He could have nearly any woman on the face of the Earth, why should he settle for her. But it still felt nice to believe that he really had meaning behind those words.

_Night :) – Gabi xoxo_

She shut her phone and set her it back on the bedside table. Even as she cuddled deep within the constraints of her bed, she couldn't help but feel a slight chill that only another body could diminish. She let out a sigh, knowing that that wasn't going to happen, and closed her eyes. Sleep was much further away now than it was before, her mind fully alert and focused since her phone went off and she read the first message. It seemed so far away now, the events of the night, the thrill of him holding her close appeared to be fuzzy and surreal. She grabbed a pillow from behind her, groaning in frustration, and clutched it to her chest, trying her best to push all thoughts from her mind and think of nothing but letting sleep overcome her small frame. She let the warmth that she had felt early in the night blanket her body and slowly, she slipped off into dreamland, a smile covering her face.

* * *

Though Gabriella was able to fall asleep, she was far too excited for her breakfast with Troy to stay asleep for long. She got up early, and decided that she was going to straighten her hair. After an hour, she had tamed her full curls into a sleek head of perfectly straight hair. Her bangs were long and swept to the side of her face, slightly covering one of her eyes. She pulled on destroyed jeans, and a dark grey hooded sweatshirt with a white cami underneath. She sat at the vanity in their room and applied her makeup, dark smoky eyes, to match the dark sweatshirt, and a shear gloss covered her lips. She pulled on her UGGs and made her way down to the lobby to meet Troy.

She could feel her stomach jump as the doors to the elevator opened and she saw his God like body sitting on one of the couches in the lobby. His back was too her, so she had time to compose herself before she approached him. Taking a deep breathe, she took the first step towards him, the air seeming to get warmer as she approached. He heard someone coming, and turned around to see the dark vixen coming towards him. He smiled, and stood up, pulling her into a hug when she reached him. "I like it." He said and she scrunched her brows together.

"What are you talking about?" she responded as they began walking to the door.

"Your hair, it's really sexy that way. But I still love your curls too." She blushed and he chuckled, placing his hand on her lower back. "Now Gabriella, are you sure you are going to be warm enough in just that? Last night you had some issues." She brought her hand up and smacked it against his chest.

The pair walked out the front door into the gentle snow, smiles covering both of their mouths. Troy cleaned off the windows of the car while Gabriella sat inside and watched his body perform the task at hand. She blushed once she realized that she was staring, and looked down at her folded hands in her lap. She reminded herself that he was just another guy, another guy that happened to be a world famous athlete, with a body from the gods. She had to stop this, there was no way that a guy like him would be interested in a girl like her.

The rush of warmth that hit her face when she walked into the waffle house was greatly appreciated. Sure she hadn't been the one that had to stand out in the snow and clean off the car, but just as the heater had begun to warm up, the short ride to the establishment was over. She still wasn't thawed; after all she only had a sweatshirt and a camisole on. Troy came in behind her, and slid his warm hand along her back to rest on her hip. The hostess looked upon Gabriella with a hint of jealousy, but seated them with a fake smile plastered to her lips anyways. Gabriella slid into the booth and Troy sat across from her.

"So what is this 'thing' that is of interest to me?" Gabriella asked and put her elbow on the table so that she could rest her chin on her hand. She smiled a little and troy leaned forward, smirking a little as he folded his arms on the table in front of him.

"If I told you that now, you would have no reason to stay. You'd probably get up and leave me here to eat all by myself and I don't like the sound of that." He answered and she let a laugh pass through her lips.

"Troy, I would have no way to get back to the hotel, you drove me here remember."

"You could have someone here take you home, anyone of the guys that checked you out when we walked in would be happy to take you off of my hands." He laughed as a blush crept over her features as she glanced around at all of the men that turned their heads when she looked their direction.

"Oh my god, that is so creepy. I don't even know who they are." She let her head fall into her cupped hands and sighed.

"You have nothing to worry about, I'm the one that should be scared." He paused and leaned back into the booth. She lifted her head and a look of curiosity appeared on her face and he laughed again. "You were getting checked out and I was getting threatening looks. They all want to kick my ass." He loved the way that the blush that appeared moments ago only seemed to intensify with every second of their conversation. He knew that she didn't think that she was as beautiful as she really was.

"That's not true." She giggled and he raised an eyebrow in disbelief. As if on cue, the waitress walked over to the table, looking straight at Troy and smiling like she just got injected with Botox.

"What can I get you to drink honey?" she spoke with a suggestive voice, her grey eyes dancing over the perfect features of his face.

"I'd like a regular coffee, cream and sugar on the side. What about you babe?" he turned to Gabriella and her breathe got caught in her throat. Did he really just call her that? His azure eyes were shining as he chuckled a little. The waitress turned towards Gabriella, not hiding the fact that she didn't like what Troy had just called her.

She shook the feeling and looked down at the menu quickly. "Can I get a hazelnut latte with whipped cream?" she asked and the waitress scribbled it down and mumbled something under her breathe about being right back to take their orders before turning and walking towards the kitchen. Gabriella turned her head towards Troy. "What was that?"

"If she thinks that we're dating, she won't hit on me as much."

"And she's going to most likely spit in my food. Plus, calling me a pet name isn't going to convince her that we are dating." She crossed her arms across her chest and he shrugged his shoulders and slid to the end of the booth and stood up. "What are you doing?"

"Move over." He stated and she scooted further into the booth. He took the seat next to her and placed his arms around her shoulders. His scent quickly overtook her space and she closed her eyes momentarily, taking in the moment.

"Troy.." she laughed a little and he took his arm from around her shoulders, but when he saw the waitress coming, he glanced down at her crossed legs. He slid his right hand on top of her left thigh, but under her right, curling his hand to fit the shape of her leg. Her left arm instinctively wrapped around his and she looked even more pissed when she saw them sitting together.

The waitress set both of their coffees down on the table. "What can I get for you?"

Troy responded first, ordering the banana pancakes and Gabriella followed after him with the chocolate chip pancakes. She took note, nodded and walked back to the kitchen, not making any moves towards Troy. "See, I told you that it would work. He squeezed her leg a little and then removed his hand from her legs, but continued to sit next to her.

"So now that we ordered, can I know the big secret? I'm not going to run off and leave my food uneaten, that is just wasteful." He shook his head and pulled his wallet out of his pocket, digging his fingers into the main pocket and pulled out her necklace from the night before.

"I thought you might want this back." He smiled and dropped the gold into her open palm. A huge smile crept onto her face and she hugged him around the neck.

"Oh god, thank you! I don't know what I would have done if I had forgotten about it!" she held it up and looked over the thin chain. "And you fixed it!" she was basically jumping up and down in the seat beside him as he just laughed at her childlike behavior. He loved that she didn't hold back what she was feeling, that she was open with him. He felt that he could be open with her to. In fact, Troy couldn't even remember the last time that he was this comfortable with a girl, their breakfast together confirmed the fact the he was in fact falling for her and quickly.

After eating, the waitress, now bitter and unpleasant, walked over to the table and set the bill down. Troy, before Gabriella could react, took his card out and handed it back to the waitress, giving her his famous smile. "Troy!" his attention was brought back to the beauty beside him as she exclaimed his name.

"What's wrong?" he asked, searching her face for hints of the cause of her distress.

"What are you doing?" she said digging through her purse at the same time, obviously distracted.

"What do you mean what am I doing, what are you doing?" he laughed a bit, turning his attention back to the waitress handing him his card. He said thank you, filling out the slip of paper and signing before once again turning his attention to Gabriella.

"I can pay for my own meal Troy, I have money."

"Don't be ridiculous Gabs, I got it. Now let's get out of here." He smiled and she shook her head no. He chuckled, she was really going to fight him on this.

"Troy…"

He stood up, holding out his hand for her to take but she just looked down at the receipt and then shuffled through money in her wallet. Troy sighed, sitting back down. He took her wallet out of her hand before she could pull the money out. He shut the wallet and placed it back in her purse. "Think of it as a gift Gabriella." His eyes were too much for her to take in so she looked down at the table again. He stood up again, taking her hand and pulling her up out of the booth.

"Thank you Troy." She smiled a little and put her purse up on her shoulder. "How can I repay you."

He laughed again, putting his arm around her waist. "You really need help understanding the idea of a gift. It is something that I give to you, and there is no repayment necessary."

"Really Troy, how can I repay you?" she said, looking up at him beside her.

"I'll tell you what, you can…" he took his arm from around her shoulders, and thought for a minute. "You can go to dinner with me one night, my treat." Her confused expression was enough to make him chuckle again.

"But how is that a repayment Troy, you are still paying for me?"

"That is where you are wrong. It's not about the money. I get to spend an evening with a beautiful woman and have every single person that sees us be jealous of me."

Gabriella could feel the heat spread through her skin like wildfire. "I…"

"Don't insult the giver Brie, it's insulting." He took her hand and headed to the door of the diner.

"I'm sorry." She giggled beside him and let him lead the way. The ride back to the hotel was too short, she didn't want to leave him just yet. It seemed like the time flew when she was with him and when she wasn't, she was counting down to when she would get to see him next. They walked back into the hotel arms linked like it was a second nature.

"Troy, I do have a favor to ask of you." She bit her lip and turned to face him.

"Should I be scared?" he chuckled and looked into her dark mocha eyes. "What is it?"

"Can you drive me to practice and pick me up when it is over? I would take the bus but the whole system sucks. It is always late and overcrowded." She said, looking up with a hopeful expression.

Troy fake pondered, looking off into the distance and scratching his chin with his fingers. Little did she know, she had him wrapped around her little finger, he had said yes in his head before she had even finished the question. "please, please, please!" she exclaimed, placing her delicate hands on his crossed forearms and pulling a puppy dog pout, standing on her tip toes and making him look at her.

"Under one condition." He finally responded, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on her waist.

"What's that?" she was smiling now, biting her lip in anticipation.

"I'm not sure yet, but when I do, I will let you know." She laughed and brought him into a hug.

"Thank you so much! My practice is at 2 so I want to leave here by ten after one at the latest." She released the hug, but kept her hands on his shoulders. Behind them the elevator dinged, signaling that it was on the floor ready to take them to their respective floors. Gabriella turned but Troy didn't follow. "Are you not coming?"

"I have a question for the desk, text me when you're ready to leave." He smiled and backed up a little. She stepped toward him, placing a hand on his cheek softly before standing on her tip toes and kissing his other cheek softly.

"Thanks for breakfast Troy." She backed up biting her lip before turning and running to catch the elevator. If one kiss on the cheek could make his heart jump like that just did, he couldn't wait to feel the explosion that would occur when he kissed her for real. Smiling to himself, he backed up and walked towards the front desk, feeling higher than the moon.

* * *

"Gabriella! I need to you to focus sweetie, your turns are getting sloppy. You seem distracted all of a sudden." Her coach yelled from across the empty rink, well besides them. She didn't think that she was distracted, maybe it was just the pressure of the situation, this was by far the biggest competition that she had ever been in.

"I guess I'm just nervous." She said, skating off of the ice and taking a seat, drinking some water while taking a small break. She had been at it for multiple hours again that day, staying much longer than all of the other American skaters.

"Why would you be nervous now, you have done this routine a thousand times before. I believe in you sweetie." She knew that her coach would always be there for her, and he wasn't afraid to tell her when she was doing a shitty job. He had her best interests at heart and would never steer her in the wrong direction.

"I don't know, I guess it just kind of hit me that I'm going to be out on the ice in front of all those people by myself, the whole world watching and waiting for me to make a mistake. I'm the youngest skater, a new be on the team, and I don't want them to think that it was some kind of fluke that I got onto the team." She let her head fall into her hands.

"Why don't you take tomorrow off sweetie. Take the time to regroup and refocus yourself. I don't want you overstressing your muscles and getting hurt before you even get the chance to perform." He sat down next to her and propped his foot up on the seat in front of him.

"I need to be on the ice!" she proclaimed, sitting up ready to fight for her practice, but the look in his eyes said otherwise, his decision was made up and there was nothing that she could do about it.

"Sorry baby girl, I ban you from the rink. Go make some new friends, or hang out with that Troy character I've heard so much about." He chuckled to himself and got up, walking away. "You're done for the night Brie, go rest and have some fun."

"Now what do I do?" she said to herself, picking up her phone to call Troy to come and get her. She shook her head, untying her skates and heading to the locker room to change. She pulled on a pair of Victoria's Secret yoga pants and a neon pink pullover and packed her bag before heading to the door to wait for him. The familiar truck pulled up shortly after and she couldn't help but smile. It really was _the_ Troy Bolton coming to get her from practice while everyone else piled onto the overcrowded bus. Grabbing her bag, she walked out the door into the small snowstorm to the big black truck.

"Hey beautiful, how was practice?" he said as she shut the door and put on her seatbelt? She looked over at his disheveled hair and electrifying eyes, and all words seemed to escape her.

"I don't want to talk about it, my coach was being a dick!" she said, crossing her arms and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"That bad?" he put the truck in gear and pulled out into the lot to head back to the hotel. It was about a 20 minute drive depending on traffic.

"He banned me from the rink tomorrow, I can't practice. I'm going to go stir crazy if I have to stay in the hotel all day." She closed her eyes, trying to simmer down, clearly she was overreacting to the situation. Maybe a day of relaxation would be a good thing for her, maybe she would regroup and come to terms with what was happening between her and Troy and figure out if it was anything serious.

"Why don't you come to practice with me? We could go explore the town afterwards." He looked over at her, eyes gleaming and she smiled. She glanced over his appearance. He was wearing dark jeans, and timberland boots, paired with a black sweatshirt that was ripped at the neck. The sleeves were pushed halfway up his forearms, revealing the veins protruding out of the muscular limbs. She quickly moved her gaze so that she didn't get caught staring at him.

"I guess I could do that. When and where?" she said smiling. She was going to get to spend another day with him all to herself.

"Meet me at my room, 414, at 7 tomorrow."

"Please don't tell me you mean seven in the morning."

Troy laughed, glancing over at her in his passenger seat. "Bright and early is the only way to go. I'll see you then." What had she gotten herself into? She smiled looking out the window, riding in a comfortable silence for the rest of the trip back to the hotel, surrounded by the intoxicating scent that is Troy Bolton.

**Okay, I know that a lot of you probably want to kill me, I know that not a lot happened in this chapter and it was really short, but I need to get back into writing. I feel like I need training wheels all over again. Please forgive me and let me know what I can do better by leaving a review! Love all of you!**


	7. Doubt

**So I didn't get the exact amount of reviews that I wanted, but what am I going to do, I have been away and haven't updated this story for about 2 years I believe. So, with that being said, I hope that I can draw more people into my story and start getting a lot of reviews again, I love to hear what all of you guys think of my writing and story in general!**

_Speechless Chapter 7 :_ _**Doubt**_

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.**  
**_**-Buddha**_

The alarm woke her a lot sooner than she would have liked, but she rolled out of bed none the less, groaning as the neon green light shown 6:26 am. Why did she put herself through this torture, she didn't have to be up today, her coach had given her the day off. She stumbled into the bathroom and took in her appearance. Her curls were untamed and her face flushed with sleep. She pulled her hair back and washed her face, waking herself up a little before getting ready for the day.

Truth be told, she couldn't stop thinking about what today would bring. Troy had invited her to go to his practice with him, giving her the impression that he wanted to hang out with her. With that thought, she smiled heading over to her suitcase to find and outfit for the day. After digging for what seemed to be hours, she came up with a long sleeve black shirt, a pair of skinny jeans, and a grey and black scarf, topping it off with her North Face jacket and UGGS. She pulled her hair into a loose bun at the bottom of her head and applied shadowy eyes and light makeup. Grabbing mittens and her purse, she walked out of the door and got onto the elevator heading down to the fourth floor.

Arriving at the specified room, she knocked lightly and waited while she heard muffled footsteps on the other side of the door. After the locks were clicked open, a tired looking Troy stood before her in nothing but a pair of low-riding dark grey sweatpants. This was the first time that she had seen him shirtless and it was a sight indeed. His bronze skin was not touched up from the photo shoot from the cover of the magazine, and neither was his toned physic.

Her eyes were glued to the perfection and only when she ripped them away from the alluring scene did she find his lips formed into a slight smirk staring back at her. "I…" she struggled for words as the two stood in the doorway. A blush spread up into her cheeks and he just chuckled a little.

"Good morning Gabriella." He stepped to the side and she entered the room, instantly being hit with a wave of his scent, making her close her eyes and take a deep breath as Troy shut the door and walked into the bedroom. Gabriella followed, standing in the doorway watching as he pulled a black under armor shirt over his toned torso. She caught herself staring at his back wondering what it would be like to run her hands over his taunt skin.

"I don't know why you decided to get up this early for this Troy, you don't even look awake." She stepped into the room and sat down on his unmade bed, feeling the soft sheets beneath her fingers.

"I told you that I need to get there early to get all my runs in this morning so that we can go into town this afternoon." He walked into the bathroom, leaving Gabriella alone in his room. She looked around, taking in the extravagance on the single room. There was a lot more space than her room, and it was a lot neater, living with two girls with a lot of beauty supplies was hard. "If you want to go back to bed you can and I'll pick you up when I'm done and we could go."

"Nah, I'd probably end up waking up my roommate and she'd be pissed."

"Do you and your roommate not get along?" Troy asked, putting last minute stuff into his bag.

"I like her and we haven't fought yet, but I miss having privacy and my own space. And I don't know if you know this or not, but girls can be bitches, Troy." She smiled a little and he laughed. She loved the sound of it, he was natural and calm about everything and it made her feel calm too.

"Well if you ever need to stay here, feel free. Anytime of night, or whenever, my door is open to you." He lifted his bag onto his shoulder and looked at her, telling her it was time to hit the road.

"Thanks Troy. Speaking of, how did you get lucky enough to get a single room?" she asked, getting up and following him to the door.

"I have an awesome manager." He smiled opening the door to the room. "Now, are you sure you're going to be warm enough?" she punched his arm, causing him to break out in laughter.

"You're never going to let me forget that are you?"

"Not a chance. I'll grab you a sweatshirt just in case." She shook her head and waited by the door, ready to get this over with so that she could spend the afternoon with the one and only Troy Bolton.

Yawning, the two pulled into the snow-covered parking lot, only a few other cars present at the time. Troy killed the engine and opened his door, the air colder here than back at the hotel. Gabriella got out too, and met Troy at the back on the truck. Undoing the hatch, Troy lowered the tailgate and pulled out the team snowboard bag with Bolton sewn into it. He leaned that bag against the truck and slides another towards the end. Pushing down his sweatpants, he was left in a pair of black liner pants, essentially leggings causing Gabriella to burst into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" he said, pulling boarding pants out of the bag and sliding them on, but not fastening them yet.

"Nothing Troy." She said, stepping over to the board bag and running her hand along it. He shook his head and continued to get ready for the runs he had to make that morning. "I want to see your board." She turned to him, eyes shining and bright.

"It's the same one that was used in the photo shoot on that magazine you have." Not looking at her, he continued to lace up his boots.

"But I want to see it in person, that way I can say that I've touched Troy Bolton's most prized possession." He smirked, stepping over to the bag, placing his arm on it and leaning towards Gabriella.

"People might mistake that Montez, watch your mouth or were both going to be in trouble."

Instantly, a blush appeared on her face and Troy just smirked a little more. "Oh God, I didn't even mean it that way."

"That's why I'm here, I'm older which means that I'm wiser and can see these things and stop them before they get too out of hand."

"Just because I'm young doesn't mean that I'm not smart." She shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fact, I'm currently a student at Stanford University." A triumphant smile came across her plump limps.

"Oh yeah?" he replied surprised. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I'm taking online courses this semester because of the Olympics." It was true. Even though she was living her dream here, she still had schooling to worry about, she knew that her skating could be ripped away from her with one injury so she had a backup plan.

Troy smiled and leaned back against the car, taking interest in the newly revealed information. "So you're telling me that along with all the training, meetings, publicity events, and other crap that comes with being an Olympic athlete, you found time for school?" she nodded her head and bit her lip a little, finding it hard to take his gaze. "What are you studying?"

"Medicine, I'm not sure what exactly I want to get into but I'm in the basic first years so I don't have to specify yet. I'm leaning towards infants or children at the moment." She smiled, obviously passionate about the subject.

"You got it all Gabriella."

"What do you mean?"

"You've got everything; beauty, passion, intelligence, athleticism, beauty…" he listed off the top of his head, smiling the more he thought about how perfect she was.

"You said beauty twice…" she said softly, meeting his intense eyes.

He stepped closer to her, running his fingers softly over the line of her chin, lifting it to meet his eyes once more, "I mean what I say." The moment that the blush spread onto her face, Troy smiled a little bit and turned to his board bag, pulling the zipper allowing Troy to slide the board out of the bag. It took a minute for Gabriella to focus her mind after what was just said to her, but when she did, she looked upon Troy's snowboard. The black fiberglass accented with electric blue instantly made her think of his eyes. This board was made to be his, the power it looked as if it held was exactly the storm of passion that Troy held within his very eyes.

She stepped closer to the board, running her fingers along the sharp steel edge, taking in the sleek object. "Oh God, it looks intimidating."

He laughed, setting the front of his board on his toe, "Now Gabs, I'm going to let you hold my baby, be very careful with it."

"Can I stand on it?" her eyes lit up, ready to try something new.

"Gabriella, would you let me try on your skates?"

"No, your feet would be way too big."

"Exactly my point, but I will teach you how to get down the mountain on a snowboard, just not on this one. Plus, it's way too big for you, a board should come up to your chin, your nose at the highest, and this is as tall as you." He smiled, handing her the board to hold while he pulled on his coat, hat, and goggles.

Troy locked up his truck, grabbing the hoodie and handing it to Gabriella before the two headed over towards the half pipe. The snow was falling, and the air was crisp and clean, perfect conditions in Troy's mind, he was ready to take on the half pipe then hang out with Gabriella for the rest of the day.

* * *

"So last night, me and Shar had this amazing dinner and then went back to my room and totally had the best night ever. God she could go for hours."

"Chad, as happy as I am for you bro, I really don't want to hear every detail about your orgasms." Troy shook his head and stretching out his back while the two were waiting for a lift to the top of the pipe.

"Speaking of orgasms, how is Miss Montez. You've got her man, she's already in your clothes."

Troy immediately responded with a punch to the shoulder of Chad, letting him know that it was not okay for him to talk that way about her. He glanced over and indeed she was wearing the hoodie that he brought for her, huddled by the fire with a cup of either coffee or hot chocolate in her hands. He smiled as she bobbed her head slowly to the song that must have been playing on her iphone. "She just doesn't know how to dress for being outdoors for long periods of time. I threw the hoodie in the car because I know that about her. It's seriously no big deal."

"Dude, you brought her to practice with you!"

"Her coach wouldn't let her practice today, said she was working too hard and needed a breather. Plus we're going to lunch and to explore the town when I'm done with my practice runs. The hotel is the opposite direction."

"She has you so fucking whipped and you haven't even gotten into bed with her." Chad laughed. "How do you do it man?"

"I seriously don't know what you're talking about Danforth."

"Are you trying to tell me that there isn't a single urge in you to get with her? I mean she's hot man. How have you not kissed her yet?"

"Chad, I'm tired of having this conversation with you. End it or I kick your ass." Troy turned to his friend, questioning in his eyes. Troy wouldn't admit that every time he saw her he wanted to pin her against a wall and kiss her until she begged for more, he wasn't sure if she wanted him to make the move or not. He was playing it safe at the moment, getting to know her, judging when she was comfortable with him taking the next step.

"Alright, alright. But she's not going to be available forever, some guys is going to come and steal her heart if you don't make it known that you're into her. But, let's just focus on the task at hand, there's no way we can let the Canadians take our trophies." Troy nodded, stealing a glance at the brunette sitting by the fire, someone stealing her heart was the last thing that he wanted to happen, other than himself of course.

* * *

Troy finished his runs, showered and changed into jeans, a brown and navy stripped sweater, a dark navy cargo jacket, a grey beanie over his head and his Timberlands on his feet. Gabriella smiled as he approached her by the fire, carrying two coffees that were steaming. "I come bearing a peace offering."

"For what?"

"I made you sit out here all morning in the cold, I feel bad." He shrugged, handing her the cup of coffee in her mitten-ed hands.

"It was kinda fun actually, I got to just clear my head and think of nothing. The mountain is such a beautiful place, I don't know why I chose a school far away from it. The more that I think about it, I have this urge to live in a cabin in the mountains, tucked away in a quiet corner, but close to the ski lodge. It would have a real fire place and a kitchen with old but working appliances. Blankets that are warn but warm as hell, and a big comfy bed where I can lay and watch the snow fall through the window. And now I'm rambling." She said and bit her lip, but he was smiling at her.

"I know exactly what you mean, and I went for it when I changed my life. You're going to have to come visit me 'cause your dream home is my actual home. I mean I have modern appliances, but everything else is pretty much spot on."

Her jaw dropped, smacking her hand against his chest, "No way. I'm super jealous now! Can I really come see it?" She sat up, turning to face him more.

"You can come stay with me if you want, we could have an Olympics reunion with me, you, Chad and Shar." He added the last part, not wanting to scare her with the invitation.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she hugged him, smiling from ear to ear.

He laughed, standing up. "We should get going, my stomachs growling. The two stood up and walked to the truck together. The ride into town wasn't bad, probably around twenty minutes, but she was too excited about their day together to realize.

The two ate lunch in a small café, off the main road tucked into a small building but it gave a homey feel. Troy once again beat her to the bill, and Gabriella claimed she wasn't speaking to him, but less than a little later he had her laughing uncontrollably. They walked out of the café into the chill of the afternoon air, sunglasses perched upon his nose and one hand in his pocket while the other was lazily brought up to rest around her shoulders. She smiled looking down for a few minutes, loving the feel of his warm body next to hers.

"So tell me something Gabriella, how is it that you can do like a million super-fast spins on the ice and then stop, not even fazed by it?" She giggled, and looked up at him, but not being able to see his eyes, the mirror of his aviators casting an image of herself back at her.

"How is it that you can fly through the air and do a million spins and tucks and land perfectly not fazed by it at all?" he chuckled too, looking ahead of them on the sidewalk.

"I asked you first Miss Gabriella. So therefore it is only right…" he was mid-sentence when a high pitched squeal interrupted his thought and his head snapped to the right, a smile appearing onto his lips. "Annabelle!" he took his arm from around Gabriella's shoulders and caught the tall red head as she leapt into Troy's arms. She was a stick, her body slim all the way down, she was a tiny bit shorter than Troy but absolutely beautiful.

"Troy, oh my God I can't believe it is actually you! It has been way too long!" she wrapped her arms around his neck once more and his arms found their place around her waist.

"I know right. What have you been up to?" it was like Gabriella was taken out of the picture, she stepped aside and mindlessly checked her phone, knowing that she wasn't going to have any messages.

"This and that, you know making it to the Olympics." They both laughed and she released her grip on him, and his hands went back to his pockets. "We definitely need to make a dinner date, we have so much to talk about and catch up on! Maybe go to a club and get smashed like old times?" She clapped and jumped a little, obviously excited about reconnecting with Troy. She could feel his gaze on her as she almost dropped her phone.

Gabriella thought that he stayed sober when they were at the club because he wanted too, but apparently he wanted to be drunk off his ass like Chad and Sharpay. Who was she kidding, this Annabelle was prettier, older and obviously more experienced than her. Why would he want to be with a young girl who can't actually legally drink when he could have the auburn model standing in front of him? She refused to make eye contact with him, suddenly feeling very out of place.

"Annabelle, I want you to meet Gabriella." She looked over and smiled widely at the petite brunette.

"THE Gabriella Montez?" she said with shock.

"The one and only." She looked up to meet the electric green eyes, check another box on the list of attractive things about her.

"Oh my, I have friends on the team that say they've never seen anyone skate like you. I can't wait to see you perform!" Damn she was making it hard not to like her.

"She won't let me see her skate yet." Troy butted in, smirking at Gabriella. "It's a little unfair seeing as she's seen me board." He crossed his arms making is arms bulge under his coat.

"The routines not finished yet Troy. It'd be boring anyways because we don't practice with the sound system yet, you wouldn't hear the music." Gabriella explained.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Shortie." Now was she supposed to take that as a compliment or a friendly nickname or an insult? Did he like tall girls, or small girls? Another voice interrupted their conversation again, and Annabelle turned around. She waved, and turned, gave Troy a hug and said call her before running back across the street.

"She was bubbly." Gabriella smiled a little bit and Troy turned back to her, picking up their stroll where they left off.

"She's an old friend from College. God we used to get into some messed up shit." He laughed and it made Gabriella feel even smaller than her five foot four stature. "Anyways, what were we talking about?" he asked oblivious to the fact that Gabriella was a lot quieter than what she was before the interruption.

"I have no idea, must not have been important." A small smile crawled over her lips and Troy shook his head. "Do you really want to come to one of my practices?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course. You've seen me snowboard, and all I've got is the descriptions of what the papers and magazines say you can do. I mean if you really suck I don't know if I can hang out with you anymore…" he faded out, looking off to the distance playing it off like he was serious.

Gabriella gasped and hit his bicep with the back of her hand. "I don't know if I should be pissed that you think I can't skate or that if I couldn't you wouldn't want to be my friend?" she wondered out loud and he laughed.

"I hate to break it to you Gabriella, but you're stuck with me." He turned and faced her, causing her to stop and look at him too.

"What do you mean?" she cocked her head to the side a little and he smiled, lifting the glasses from his face so that she could see into his eyes.

"Well, I kinda like hanging ou…"

"TROY BOLTON!" a group of girls came running at the pair and Troy took a step closer to Gabriella as they approached. "Oh god it's really you!" "What are the odds that he's here when we are" "He's so fucking hot it's unreal." "He looks just like the magazines." The girls all commented one after the other. Troy smiled, turning to face the new crowd of people.

"Hey ladies." He smiled again, that damn get you out of your panties smile, and they squealed a little, one in particular taking out a camera.

"Can we get our picture with you?" she smiled bigger than looked natural on her face.

"Of course." He stepped away and the girl shoved the camera at Gabriella before jumping in right next to Troy, putting her hand on his chest and sticking out her boobs and chest. Troy put his arm around her waist and smiled at the camera.

The girls took countless pictures, Troy mouthing sorry to her about ten minutes in. She shrugged, biting her lip before focusing on the small screen in front of her.

After countless encounters throughout the afternoon, most of them women that Troy either knew or were huge fans, Gabriella just wanted out of there. These overly attractive women of Troy's past were making her stomach turn.

"Troy, can we just head home? I'm kinda tired." She said after Troy placed his glasses back over his face, trying to hide from what seemed to be his entire fan club.

"Yeah, if you want to." He said, not keen on the idea because it meant he got to spend less time with her, but if it was what she wanted, he was going to give it to her.

The pair walked back to his truck, the ride home was silent. Gabriella was lost in her head, trying to make sense of what she was feeling. Had he been leading her on or had she been reading him wrong? When they got back to the hotel, Troy pulled her into a warm hug before he let her go to her room. He had to take care of his equipment and he didn't want her to just stand in the cold and wait for him. "I'll see you tomorrow Gabs. Night." He smiled warmly at her and she shyly returned it before turning and walking to the hotel.

That night she didn't get much sleep, tossing and turning while her mind was racing from the events of the day. Her whole chest was aching, but tears never left her eyes. How could she have been so stupid to think that he would be interested in her when there was all those other women swooning over his every breathe. He texted her that night, asking if she was okay because she was so quiet in the car, but she set it down without responding to the message.

When she awoke in the morning, she was exhausted, but the thought of being back on the ice got her out of bed and to the bus stop early that morning. The thought of asking Troy to drive her crossed her mind, but then she felt that he was just doing it because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Her practice was over before she knew it, and she felt that nothing was accomplished. The need to talk to someone was boiling inside of her; she needed help sorting out her mind. She knew just the person to help, and Sharpay was just a bus ride away.

Walking into the warm air of the lobby was always a welcomed feeling; the hustle and bustle was comforting as people went about their day to day lives. She was walking to the elevator when she heard the familiar voice call out her name. "Gabriella!" she turned to see Troy in sweats and an Under Armor shirt walking towards her with a smile from one ear to the other. Only it dimmed when he saw her halfhearted smile. "What's wrong Gabs?"

"Nothing, just tired and feeling warn out. I need to get some good sleep." Gabriella lied through her teeth and made as little eye contact with him as possible, not wanting to give in to his persuasive gaze.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me Gabriella, you know that right?" only he didn't know how wrong he was, how was she supposed to talk to him when he was the one causing the problems, not that he knew that of course.

"I'm positive, I just need a good nap."

Troy pulled out his phone and looked down at the time. "Well go get some sleep, call me when you wake up and we'll chill okay?" The corner of his lips curved upwards into a smile at the suggestion and she nodded.

"Sounds good." She turned to go to the elevator, but his hand grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him once again. He looked down into her confused eyes, his hands gently making their way to her neck, his thumbs rubbing softly over her jaw line. He tilted her head back and placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep tight Shortie." She felt chills run down her spine, but was it from the contact from his lips or the new nickname that she seemed to have acquired? He stepped back, his fingertips leaving a trail of fireworks down her arm as he grazed it lightly. He backed up and turned around, resuming whatever it was that he was out to accomplish. Gabriella stood frozen for a second before turning towards the elevator, texting Sharpay to meet her at her room as soon as possible, there was a turn of events and now she was more confused than ever before.

**So I hope you guys liked this chapter, with the real Olympics starting again, I feel that I should get my butt in gear and start writing this again. I'm feeling inspired plus there are a bunch of other stories that I have brewing that I want to maybe try to write while I have time. Please review, I love hearing feedback!**


	8. Comfort

**Well hello again readers, I'm sorry I haven't been updating but I started taking a summer English class and I have four papers due within 6 weeks so my time might be a little stretched. But let's try to get reviews in the double digits for this chapter pretty please :)! Love you all, you're awesome!**

_Speechless Chapter 8 :_ _**Comfort**_

"There is no feeling more comforting and consoling than knowing you are right next to the one you love."**  
**_**-Unknown**_

Sharpay was at her door the instant that Gabriella got off the elevator, dying to hear the latest Gabriella and Troy gossip. Sharpay's relationship with Chad was great, he took her to nice places, bought her things, and gave her great sex; but Troy and Gabriella were just the cutest couple in her mind. He was the golden boy, sexy as hell while being sweet and caring, and she was the innocent newcomer, beautiful and passionate. Gabriella's face told her that it was going to be good, whatever it was that they had to talk about.

The two girls walked into the room and Gabriella sat on the bed, her mind exhausted and confused after what had just happened. That was the first time that his lips touched her skin even though it was not the same as a kiss on the lips would be, but it still made her heart race.

"What's up baby girl?" Sharpay asked after nothing was said for some time. Gabriella had laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, thinking about what to say to her friend.

"It was humiliating Shar, I really think I like Troy and I like spending time with him. But all day yesterday all these girls just coming up to him, most of them he knew, the others seemed to be his number one fans. They were all gorgeous and clearly wanted him. Why would he want me when he could have any one of those girls?" she was becoming teary eyed thinking about it.

"From the looks of it from my perspective, he wants you Gabs." Sharpay said and ran her hand down over Gabriella's arm.

"You're just saying that because you are my friend." She rolled onto her stomach and Sharpay rubbed her back.

"Oh please Gabs, you know that I don't say anything that I don't mean. That boy can't take his eyes off of you ever." Gabriella laughed a little bit at Sharpay's explanation, but still doubted her. "Has he said anything to you since then?"

"Yes." She bit her lip thinking about what just happened downstairs. She had been avoiding him because she didn't know what was going to happen, would this change things?

"Well? What did he say?" she was smiling ear to ear, living out her fantasies through her brunette friend.

"Well he texted me a few times, and then I just ran into him downstairs before I texted you. He wants me to text him when I wake up and wants to hang out or something after." She informed Sharpay, watching and hoping that she wouldn't notice that she was withholding information.

Not satisfied with Gabriella's answer, she leaned forward with her eyes narrowed. "What aren't you telling me Gabriella. Spill it now."

"Nothing Shar." She bit her lip nervously.

"Bullshit Montez, I will find out by other means if you don't tell me." Gabriella sat up and crossed her legs on the bed, her hands folded nervously in her lap.

"Well I just ran into him downstairs, and he seemed a little worried that I wasn't my normal self. I just told him that I needed a good sleep. That's when he told me to call him, and then when I turned to leave, he grabbed my arm and then took my neck," she motioned to what his hands did cupping her neck and chin lightly, "and then he leaned forward and kissed my forehead softly." She blushed and looked down at her hand that were nervously picking at her nail polish.

"Gabs!" Sharpay practically screamed at the brunette, "he so wants to spend time with you, definitely wants to fuck you." She added under her breath which earned her a smack on the arm from Gabriella.

"No he doesn't. Chad has been all over you since the club and all Troy has done is kiss me on the forehead. How does that mean anything, my dad does that to me."

"Maybe he just wants to take it slow to make sure that it is what you want. He doesn't want to push you away, or he's looking for something more serious and he wants to take it slow."

"I guess." She responded quietly.

"Think of it from a guys perspective too, they have all this pressure to make the first move but they don't want to make it at the wrong time. Maybe you should just go up to him and make the first move." She suggested and shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't do that Shar, I really don't think that he thinks of me that way."

"Either way sweetie, you look exhausted, get some sleep and they you need to call him. If you don't, I'm not gonna talk to you for the rest of the games." They both laugh and Sharpay got up off of the bed. "Remember, don't push him away, it will hurt him probably more than either of us know."

"I'll call him Shar, bye." She laughed as the blonde left the room and Gabriella fell asleep almost instantly. Her mind was running but she was able to get a few hours of sleep, not feeling that it was enough though. She sat up and went into the bathroom to fix her makeup before she texted Troy. She looked down at her phone and typed in 'hey' before setting it back down and taking a deep breath. She went to her suitcase and pulled on a pair of black yoga pants and a bright blue t-shirt that hugged her hips and chest, emphasizing her small waist. Walking back into the bathroom, and she had a message waiting from Troy.

She opened the message and it read, "Hey! Wanna come and chill, watch a movie or something? We can order one in my room if you want."

She smiled and bit her lip a little. She was going to get the alone time with him, no distractions, just the two of them together. Her stomach fluttered, her heart rate speeding up but she had to stay calm when they were together.

She responded saying she would be down in a few minutes and he replied with a smiley face. Gabriella took one last look at herself in the mirror and then walked to her room to grab her things. Picking up her phone, keys and a bottle of water, she slipped into her moccasins and left the room, heading to the other one she was slowly becoming more familiar with.

A few seconds after knocking on the door, Troy answered smiling at her brightly. "Hey sleepy head, feeling better?" he asked as he stepped forward and gave her a warm hug, letting his arms wrap all the way around her small waist. How could she not be better when he was smiling at her while looking so damn attractive in his sweats and snug t-shirt.

"Yeah I guess, my head is still kind of throbbing but definitely better than before," even more so since he had greeted her in such a fashion, instantly making her feel better. Troy closed the door and then walked back to his bedroom. Gabriella didn't follow, but instead set her things on the end table and sat down on the couch, folding her legs up to her chest.

"That's good, but why didn't you ask me to take you to practice? I thought you said that the bus system sucks." He inquired from the other room. Gabriella blushed a little before responding, not wanting to tell him that she was in fact avoiding him.

"I don't know, I figured that you wouldn't want to waste all of the gas driving me everywhere, it's expensive driving back and forth all that way when the buses are free for athletes." Troy stepped back into the living room, leaning in the doorframe slightly.

"Gas isn't an issue Shortie, If I don't have practice, I'll drive you." He smiled and pushed off of the door frame. "And we're watching the movie in here because there isn't Paperview on this TV, just the one in the bedroom." He stated and stepped back into the other room. Gabriella stood up grabbing her things before making her way into his room. This time the bed was made with a throw blanket at the end and pillows galore. She climbed up onto the bed while Troy looked at something on his desk.

"So what's playing?" she asked and laid back into the mass of fluffy pillows. Troy chucked the list at her feet and she looked over the list with none of the titles ringing a bell. "Troy, none of these even look remotely familiar." Gabriella explained and set the list down.

He laughed and climbed on the bed next to her, remote and phone in hand. "I know."

"So you invited me here knowing that there was no movies to watch?" she questioned and raised an eyebrow.

"That's where you're wrong Gabs, we have 27 no-name movies, and more popcorn than you can eat waiting to be popped." He smirked sexily and turned the tv on, selecting the menu where the list of movies was once again. It took all of her will power not to laugh at his childlike behavior.

"Well this should be fun." She crossed her arms and he turned to face her, a pout on his lips.

"Come on Gabs, we'll make fun of the terrible movie and it will be great. Plus you get to hang out with me all night, I think that's a fair tradeoff." This caused her to crack a smile and he winked at her before choosing a random chick flick movie and getting off the bed to make the popcorn. He shut the lights off when he left the room and the movie started without him. She pulled the blanket up over her legs and leaned back.

"Troy! You're missing the movie!" she called out after 5 minutes and he laughed from the other room. Eventually he came back in with a bowl of popcorn, a beer and water in hand. Truth be told, she really didn't care if he drank, she was in fact thinking about trying it. All of her friends back at school did but she was too focused on training and grades that she sort of missed out on the social life of college. She wanted to change that and have a fun time at school.

"What did I miss?" he asked, sitting right next to her and placing the bowl in her lap and handing her the water, his beer in his left hand resting on his thigh.

"The girl is in love with this guy but her father hates him, blah blah blah cliché romance movie." She said, "Now shut up and pay attention, movies are for watching not talking." She giggled as he responded.

"Yes ma'am." He placed his arm up around her shoulders and she leaned into him a little more, his heat radiating off of his body and into hers.

* * *

There was a silence in the room, the kind where you wake up in the middle of the night and everything is still. The only noise was the light hum of the ceiling fan spinning above her. The television was emitting a soft blue glow from the menu screen, the default that would have popped up after the movie was done playing.

Gabriella, with her eyes still closed, stirred a little, taking a deep breath and sinking even further into the comforts of the bed. She felt as if she was wrapped inside a heated blanket, nothing that she could create with her own body seeing as she was always freezing. She shifted her hips a tiny bit, only know noticing the extra weight that was across her side. With her slight movement, the arm that was around her waist tightened slightly and the even breathing of the body behind her focused in her ear.

Her eyes snapped open and the glow of the green numbers on the clock shown 3:13 am. She shot up to a sitting position, running a hand through her hair trying to make sense of the situation. She and Tory had been watching a movie and apparently both of them had passed out before it was even over.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked with a rough voice, clearly still half asleep. He propped himself up on one arm and his other remained across her thighs where it landed when she shot up to the sitting position. He moved his arm over her legs slightly and ran his thumb over the skin on her thigh. Gabriella looked down as his gentle fingers drew invisible lines on her skin, shocking her system.

"My coach is going to kill me, were not supposed to stay out all night." She said and swung a leg over the edge of the bed, trying to get up but Troy's arm held firm around her hips. She turned her head to look at him, "Troy… I need to go." He had a confused expression on his face, wondering why she was freaking out.

"Relax Gabs, you were sleeping just fine before now. We fell asleep early, it's not like you were up until three in the morning. Just stay here tonight." He suggested nonchalantly, pushing himself up into the sitting position so that he was closer to be eye level with her. She blushed a little and he squeezed her thigh softly with his hand telling her it was okay.

"I have practice early Troy, I really should go." She refuted without any fervor, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"What time?"

"I have to be at the rink by 8, so I'll probably have to get up at like 6:30 to catch the bus." She responded, crossing her arms, the goose bumps evident on her dark skin. Troy chucked a little, remembering the conversation that they had right as she had gotten there that night.

Troy grabbed his phone and did something real quick before setting it back on the end table and lifting his hips to pull the duvet cover out from under him. He slipped his legs under and she looked at him. "All set, alarm ready. I'll take you in the morning. Now will you stop fighting me and just lay down, pretty please?" he looked at her with a soft smile on his lips. She thanked god that it was dark because her blush deepened as her heart rate skyrocketed.

Lifting her hips, he pulled the covers out from under her so that she could get under them with him. She lay back down on her side, facing away from him. Troy pulled the covers up around her, slipping his arm under her pillow before settling his body behind hers. He strong embrace pulled her to him, His chest pressed against her back. She could feel the steady beat of his heart and the even noise of his breathing as the heat overcame her body. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep wrapped in Troy's embrace. "Night Shortie." He whispered softly into her hair before falling asleep himself.

* * *

Gabriella and Troy were closer than ever, spending basically every moment with each other when they were not at practice and texting until they fell asleep, but not actually sharing a bed again despite hidden desires. But with the actual competitions starting in a few days, it was about to get serious. Both Gabriella and Troy had gone there to win, and that is what they planned to do.

"Gabriella, we're gonna be late if you don't hurry up!" Troy called as he looked down at his phone, seeing that it was now 12 minutes past when she wanted to leave. Usually she was on time, but when she wasn't, she really wasn't. Standing in the doorway to her room, leaning in the frame in a simple pair of dark wash fitted jeans, his timberlands, and a black coat with a white t-shirt underneath, he looked absolutely perfect in Gabriella's mind. She has seen him in anything from sweats to full uniform, but this simple put together look was perfect for him.

"I want to look good Troy, I haven't seen them in a few weeks." She called out from the bathroom.

"They're your parents babe, you could wear a shitty pair of sweats and a t-shirt for all they care, they just want to see you." They were heading to the airport to pick up Gabriella's parents who were on their way to see her compete on the biggest stage of her life. Truth be told, Troy was beyond nervous for this, he knew that he technically wasn't dating her, but it felt like that at times. He wanted to make a good impression, and by showing up late, it wasn't off to a good start.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She stepped out of her room and looked beautiful in jeans, a nice top and a pea coat. Her hair was down and curled and her makeup was light but noticeable. She pulled on boots and grabbed her purse before stepping in front of him. "Let's go." She smiled a little and he returned it.

He stepped forward, engulfing her in a hug that she returned with a small giggle. "You smell good." He mumbled and she laughed harder, pushing back a little and looking into his deep eyes.

"You smell pretty sexy yourself." He laughed and let her take the lead leaving the room. The two made it to the airport, and luckily the plane was delayed a little so they arrived before the plane did. Troy bought himself as well as Gabriella a coffee and the pair sat in the waiting area, Gabriella clearly overexcited and anxious for her parents to get there.

"Troy, why am I so nervous?" she was smiling ear to ear, her leg bouncing up and down as she stared into his deep blue eyes. He laughed at her and placed him strong hand on her leg, squeezing a little bit.

"Relax Gabs." With the touch of his hand on her thigh, she had a flashback to the night they spent together, the warmth enveloping her body and his comforting arms wrapped around her small body. She could feel her heart rate start to slow down with each moment that he was in contact with her. She broke the stare between them when she heard her name being called. Her head snapped up and she squealed a little before jumping up and running towards two people who Troy could only assume to be her parents. She ran and jumped, her father catching her and spinning her around a few times and kissing her cheeks.

Troy smiled, but fought within himself about how he was never going to know that kind of love again. His parents weren't even watching the Olympics, let alone coming up to see him compete in person. He stayed back and gave them a minute, her mother had tears in her eyes, but wasn't crying completely. He smiled again, realizing how close they all must be.

After a few minutes, he decided that it was time that they get moving. He stepped towards the group and a few steps in, her mother looked up with a knowing smile on her face. He didn't know why, but his heart rate started to build, he was nervous to meet her mother.

"Well, well, well. You must be the one and only Troy Bolton." Her mother spoke in a knowing tone as Gabriella looked over her shoulder, biting her lip to see how he responded to the situation. He smirked a little, stepping beside Gabriella and placing his arm across her shoulders.

"That's me. It's nice to finally meet you." He held out his hand which her father shook, but her mother waved it off and gave him a hug instead.

"I've heard so much about you Troy." Maria informed him, Troy looked over her shoulder at Gabriella, who proceeded to shrug her shoulders and laugh a little bit.

"That's never good." He responded and all of them laughed. Troy loaded all of the bags into the car and they hit the road back to the hotel, Gabriella stealing glances from him every once in a while during conversations with her parents. Keeping his focus on the road, he got them back to the hotel safely, before taking off and going to his own practice, but not before giving Gabriella a hug and a peck on her forehead. He parents "awed" and he laughed and left the hotel. From what he saw, they seemed to be pretty cool people, and he was looking forward to getting to meet them.

**So, next chapter is the first competition! I'm sorry the ending sucked… I was having trouble with where to go with it, and sorry It is kinda short too. I hope you like it… Please review, they mean the world to me! Love all you guys! :) **


	9. Whispered

**So hey guys, I know that it has been over a year, but I am completely in aww that it has been. It feels like yesterday I uploaded chapter 8, I guess not. I look forward to all of the feedback. Someone mentioned the rating of this story, and believe me it will be M, but this story isn't rushing that, it will happen when it is meant to happen, there is a plan. I don't know when I'll be able to update, but hopefully I get inspired and it's soon. Other than that, thanks so much for reading guys!**

_Speechless Chapter 9_ : **Whispered**

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."

_**-Judy Garland**_

Today was the day, the exact day that she had dreamed about since she was a little girl. She was in costume, her hair professionally done and her makeup perfect to a tee. Her white skates were tied snuggly to her feet, her legs covered in the tan stockings. The sparkly leotard with skirt was skin tight, showing the world the feminine curves that she has grown into in the past few years. It was simple and white, rhinestones glittering whenever she turned, catching the eyes of onlookers.

Sitting in the locker room, her legs were bouncing nervously as she sat on a bench. Her headphones were in her ears, but she could still hear the roar of the crowd in the stands above her. Fanatics from all over the world have come to see their respective athletes attempt to win the gold medal, some making history while others were trying to relive what they have done before.

She took a deep breathe trying to calm her uncommon nerves. She knew that somewhere in the masses of people upstairs her parents were there dressed in red, white and blue, screaming her name, willing her to do her best. She could almost feel the prayers that they were sending her way. One thing she was disappointed by though was a face that would not be in the crowd today. With his Olympic debut only two days away, Troy's coach was not about to let him skip a training session to watch her skate. He texted her about a half hour ago and told her good luck, he was thinking about her, and that he knew that she could do it. She responded, but that's the last she had heard from him.

She knew that she had to focus on what she was do, and that he had to remain focused on his boarding. But, in a selfish way, she really wanted him to be there for her. For now she would have to be happy that her parents were there for her, though. Her song ended, and she hit replay, mentally going through the motion of what she was about to do in front of the biggest crowd of her life. Part of the way through her routine, Jerry came in and she looked up, a nervous smile on her face.

"Are you ready for this Baby?" he said and rubbed his hands together, feeling the pressure that she was also. He wondered if he pushed her hard enough, if there was something else that he could have done to prepare her for this moment. She was only a teenager for crying out loud, he didn't understand how she could appear this calm.

"As I'll ever be, this Jerry guy did a pretty good job coaching me, he seems to know what he's doing. Have you heard of him?" she asked in a fake questioning tone, tilting her head to the side.

"No never, but he must be pretty cool." Jerry responded and engulfed his young student in a hug. Their laughs blended together as the two made their way into the long tunnel that lead to the arena, this was it. Her shining moment was at the end of the hallway, a mere fifty feet away. She took the first step in stride with Jerry, walking into the arena, she saw her face on the giant scoreboard in the center of the arena. She smiled and waved, the whole arena erupting into cheers. Her heart rate skyrocketed and she set her things down on the bench before stretching a little, trying not to watch the athlete that was going at the time. The seconds went by like hours and the minutes like days.

The music ended and she took the protectors off of her skates, stepping onto the ice with the second group of women to warm up. Jerry had told her keep her mind focused and her body loose. The glass like ice beneath her skates felt like home, the cool air in her lungs refreshing, ridding her of the nerves that she was feeling before. Today was the easier of her routines, but still far from simple.

The short program was today, the skate would only last a little less than 3 minutes, but it was three minutes that all eyes in the arena would be focused on her and only her. She has done this routine hundreds of times; she knew it and she had to trust her instincts.

Getting off the ice, she shook out her muscles and came face to face with her coach. "Go get 'em Gabs." He gave her a hug and squeezed her shoulders. She smiled a little and took a couple deep breathes. She was first in this set of athletes, the highest score already posted was 71.38. She needed a 71.39 to pull ahead into first place. This was usually one third of the total overall score, 33 percent of the way to a medal. The lights went down, meaning that it was her turn to get onto the ice, she gave one nervous smile to Jerry before gliding to the middle of the ice while the cheers erupted.

She took one last cleansing breathe and set her feet, her arm going up to frame her face and she closed her eyes. The announcer, with a British accent came over the loud speaker, "Gabriella Montez, United States of America." The lights came up once again, and her music began to play. It was the theme from Swan Lake, the more elegant of her two routines. She turned gracefully, running her hand down her side and her arms going up and down. Her face held the emotion of the routine, the judges falling for her as they always seem to do. She began picking up the pace, turning backward and heading towards one end of the rink. The music was becoming more intense as she leapt from the ice for the first time, completing the triple axel beautifully, landing and spreading her arms. She smiled a little, relieved that the first jump was out of the way.

She was starting to feel more confident on the ice, the moves more passionate and beautiful than the other competitors. She performed for the audience, not the judges. They were all holding their breath as she moved, complimenting the music. She switched from one leg to the other with ease, delicately maneuvering into a spin. She came out of it and continued down the ice, moving swiftly and elegantly. Into another jump, the audience roared when she landed. Her heart was pounding; she was almost through her first routine, her Olympic debut! She flawlessly went into intricate footwork, her hips swiveling and her feet moving knowingly. She transitioned into the set up for her ending, two jumps right in a row, a single followed by a triple. She turned backwards, her skirt flying up over her back, she spun once, setting up before leaping into the air, completing the first as well as the second with maximum height and great form. She was smiling ear to ear as she went through another spin, slowing down with the music before stopping in perfect time with it, an emotional ending. When the audience jumped to its feet, she knew she had done what she had trained for, the best that she could do.

The roses and stuffed animals made their way to the ice; she picked up a cute teddy bear with an outfit as she made her way off of the ice, instantly being engulfed by her coach. "I'm so proud of you little one!" He spoke over the roar of the crowd. She had done everything that she could of and it was up to the judges. She took a seat with Jerry and waited. Time was moving in slow motion again, the score seeming as if it would never come.

She was talking to one of the trainers, making sure that everything was fine when the crowd swelled again, the numbers being posted on the score board, she had done it, she had scored a total of 73.82, and she was in the lead for the time being. She jumped up; hugging her coach once again and he swung her around, kissing her on both cheeks. Once he set her down, Gabriella was positive that the smile on his face would be there for the next few hours, she loved when she could make him smile, make him realize that all the long hours in the rink were worth it. "Go change into your sweats, we can't leave until all of the other skaters perform." He told her as he walked over to the scoring table to take care of some papers.

* * *

She had returned to the locker room, this time she was not nervous, but relieved and excited at the same time. She had performed to the best of her ability and she was currently on top. She bent down and was untying her skate when the door opened with a small knock. She didn't look up, knowing that Jerry was the only one that would be allowed back here with her. "Jerry, I can't believe what just happened, I have never felt …" she looked up and sat back on the bench, her eyes went wide and she screamed as she jumped up and ran over into his arms. "Troy!"

"Hey Shortie." She smiled, opening his arms for her.

He caught her completely ready, holding her small body to his. He was smiling, wearing simple jeans, his boots, and a white t-shirt that said 'Team Montez' on it. He set her back on the ground, his hands running slowly down her sides to rest on the back on her hips above her bottom. "I thought you had practice and you couldn't get out of it?" she spoke and kept hold of her hands on his biceps lightly.

"Yeah, well, that might have been a tiny white lie so that you wouldn't be nervous because I was here." He smirked down at her. "I still have a session later today, I switched it so that I could be here."

"Oh, well when did you get here? You dropped me and my parents off this morning." She questioned, smiling from ear to ear.

"I circled the building and parked and met your parents in the lobby and we found seats, speaking of, they are so proud of you." He smiled.

"Where did you get the shirt?" she asked, running her hand over the black print on his chest. He looked down and smiled at it. "You didn't have it on this morning."

"Mine was under my hoodie this morning, and your parents changed when they got here. I'm surprised you didn't see us on the big screen, they kept showing us and I was nervous it was going to ruin the surprise." He elaborated and chuckled, "You were amazing Gabriella." He said and softened his voice, looking down into her eyes.

"Thanks Troy." She smiled shyly before stepping up onto her toes and kissing him on the cheek. She pulled her head back and giggled softly as her hand went up to his face. "Damn lipstick, it gets all over everything." Her delicate hand wiped it off and she met his gaze again, it was a tad bit darker than before. Her heart leaped in her chest when his eyes flickered down to her lips and then back to her eyes. His right hand left her body and came up to cup her chin, running the pad of his thumb over her cheek.

She sucked in a big gulp of air, the atmosphere around her seemingly sucked dry of the much needed gas. His left hand centered on her lower back, holding her frame tightly to his. He was leaning back against a counter, her legs between his spread ones. "On a scale from one to ten, how badly do you want me to kiss you?" he said almost inaudibly, his gaze burning into her own, the seriousness of his question not going unnoticed.

"Twelve." She responded and a hint of a smile spread across his thin lips, his thumb diverting its course to slightly run it over her bottom lip. She ran her hands up his chest, cupping his neck lightly. His gaze burned into hers for a second longer before shifting to her lips. He moved his thumb, instantly taking its place with his own lips. His hand slipped to her back of her head and tilted it back. He nibbled a little on her lower lip, taking it into his mouth and sucking slightly before releasing, taking it once again. Her eyes snapped closed as his warm mouth covered hers, his hands tightening on her waist and scalp, telling her that he wanted more but was holding back.

His tongue ran across her lip, asking her for permission. She stood up on her tip toes, wrapping her arms all the way around his neck, his going back to grab onto her waist. She opened her mouth a little, and his tongue explored, meeting hers for the first time. He tasted of mint and something else that she couldn't quite put her mind on at the moment, but it was exactly what she would have expected.

Gabriella pulled back, the need for air overwhelming. Troy took this time to switch their positions, turning them so that her back was against the counter, and his hips were pressed to hers. He took her lips again, causing Gabriella to moan into the kiss. She could feel every movement that he did against her; the heat was crawling and spreading through her body at an alarming rate.

His hands once again grabbed at her hips, pulling them to his and she pulled her lips away, panting slightly. Troy rested his forehead against hers, calming his body. His eyes fluttered open, meeting the dark brown that he had come to love. "I've wanted to kiss you for so long now."

"Why didn't you before now?" she asked, "What made today so different?"

"I guess I just didn't want to push you away, I thought kissing you would mess things up. But I have no idea why I would do that now that I know what I've been missing. Today, seeing you out there that confident and sexy as hell in that little outfit made me realize if I waited any longer, some other guy was going to come and sweep you off your feet." He responded, kissing her lips softly once again.

She inhaled softly, suddenly in tune to every place that their bodies were in contact. She cupped his chin once again and brought his lips into a soft sweet kiss. "Trust me when I say this, no guy can sweep me off my feet because you make me feel like I'm floating." She responded and he laughed a little.

"Good." He answered back, letting his hands slide from her waist, stepping back and looking at her. "I'm going to let you change, your parents are probably wondering where I am." He stepped towards the door and Gabriella reached out, grabbing his wrist to stop him. "What?" he smiled a little.

"Red isn't your color Troy." She giggled and got a tissue from the counter behind her and continued to wipe off his mouth. When she was finished, he gently grabbed her arm and kissed her wrist. "Text me later when you can." He smiled and walked out of the locker room, just in time too because Jerry walked in seconds after.

"Was that that snowboarder guy?" Jerry asked and put the papers he must have been filling out in his bag. Gabriella laughed at the bluntness of her coach, he was overprotective of her just like her real father. He could never stand to watch her get her heart broken, and she was pretty sure he would want to interrogate any boy who wanted to date her.

"Yeah, his name's Troy." She responded with a smile on her lips, thinking of what just happened only minutes before, had he actually kissed her?

"You better watch out for him, all the gossip says that he is quite the ladies man." Gabriella smiled shyly and returned to her seat on the bench, continuing to take her skates off and return them to her bag. She was still in shock from what just happened, all the signs that she had been reading before were not false, he actually was attracted to her and acted upon it.

The rest of the day was a blur, she was bombarded with reporters as soon as she left the rink. Troy went and got his truck to take the family to dinner. He dropped them off, making sure that her parents were out of the car before she was and gave her a quick kiss as she left. Gabriella and her parents were going out to dinner just as a family. Troy had a night training session and said he would call them when he was done and could pick them up again. Today was a snowboarding cross training, this event focusing on speed and precision as he would race three other boarders down the track, followed by a few runs down the half pipe to keep it fresh in his mind. He smiled at her as she turned and waved as he drove off, how did he get so lucky?

* * *

"Troy, something actually happened this time, you can't stop smiling." Chad stated matter of fact-ly. Troy had completed the practices for the cross races, getting himself used to the difficult course before the actual races begin. The half pipe began in two days, and then the cross race the day after. He had a packed schedule from now until the end of the games that is if he continues on the path that his coach set out for him.

"Yeah, so what if it did Danforth?" Troy smirked, tightening the binding on his board. He was almost done for the day, then he could go pass out, it was way later than he expected to be out. He had to call Gabriella to tell her that he wasn't going to make it back to pick them up, so they caught the bus back to the hotel.

"Well dish Bolton!" Chad punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"All we did was kiss, that's it." Troy responded, keeping his eyes away from Chad's prying beady ones.

"Wait a second, all you did was get a little lip on lip action and this is how giddy you get? You might want to wait until after all the competition before trying something else, you won't be able to stand up my man." Chad advised, leaning back on the bench. The wind was picking up and the chill in Troy's body was seeping down to his bones.

"Shut it Chad, I don't know what it is about her, but she's perfect for me. Seeing her out there on the ice today was breathtaking, I've never seen anything like it." Troy explained.

Chad nodded his head and pursed his lips a little, the wheels clearly turning in his head. "Are you sure it had nothing to do with her tight little body covered only in spandex?" he asked with a glint of humor in his eyes.

Troy looked up at him with a devilish look in his eyes, "Well I guess you're never going to find out because I'm so going to kill you Chad! Don't you have a little blonde to get back too, from what Gabriella tells me you two are going at it like rabbits." Two could play at this game.

"As a matter of fact I do, my little snow bunny must be missing me. See you later Bolton." Chad pulled down his goggles and went in front of Troy, taking his last run of the evening. Troy laughed a little and followed slightly behind Chad, after all, Troy was his ride home so he'd be going nowhere fast.

The two boarders made it to the truck and were packing their things to get back to the hotel, Troy was getting impatient. Today had been a big day and all he wanted to do was get back to Gabriella. He could see her smiling, her subtle giggle ringing in his ears, he missed her and they had only been apart for a couple of hours.

Back at the hotel, Gabriella was fast asleep, she wanted to wait up for Troy but after eating a big dinner and the weight of the day finally leaving her chest, she was exhausted. She had been texting him but during his practice the replies were few and far between. It wasn't long until she had fallen asleep and missed the next messages that came through. Troy got back to his room, but couldn't sleep. She was three floors away from him and he wanted to see her, he wanted a goodnight kiss before he went to sleep. He knew that she wouldn't answer her phone because she hadn't answered the last two messages, so that meant going to her room even if it would piss off her roommate. Making his way to her floor, he got off the elevator and stood outside her door, knocking softly on the wooden surface.

After a minute he still heard no response so he knocked a little louder. Once more he knocked and finally heard shuffling behind the door. The click of the deadbolt and the clinking of the chain meant that someone had heard him. The door opened and a sleepy Gabriella in a hoodie and leggings appeared in the crack. "Hey." He smiled and leaned against the door frame.

"Troy, what time is it?" she asked in a raspy voice and stepped out into the hallway with him, squinting in the bright lights. She wrapped her arms around her body to try and ward off the chill in the hotel air. He didn't answer but instead leaned down and took her lips in his, softly kissing her. When he pulled back her eyes were still shut and she smiled a little biting her lower lip, letting her lashes flutter open. "Hi" she smiled back at him.

His gaze glanced down at her lips again and she stepped out of the doorway and completely into the hallway where he gently pushed her against the wall next to her door. Her hands moved up his chest to gently snake around his neck while one of his hands cupped her waist and the other supported him against the wall right above her shoulder. She gently bit down on his bottom lip when she heard the door next to her click shut. She pushed him back slightly and turned to face the door. "Shit!" she whisper-yelled and turned back to face him, "I don't have a key or my phone." She shoved her hands into her hoodie pocket to make sure what she said was true.

He chuckled softly and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, running the pad of his thumb along her cheek. "Well then I guess it's a good thing that I'm here. Ms. Montez, would you like to spend the night with me?" he smiled and searched her deep brown eyes for an answer.

She stood up on her tippy toes and pecked his lips softly, "Yes, yes I would." He smiled and grabbed her hand and turned to walk down the hallway to the elevator, his little late night trip to get a goodnight kiss ended better than he could have ever hoped.

**Well, I hope you all liked it, sorry for the rushed and terrible ending as always. Like I said I don't know when I'll be able to write again. Please Review and let me know what you think, it's difficult getting back on the horse when you've been gone so long.**


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